Adaptation and sustainable development
Adapting to climate change
It is important that Tonbridge and Malling is resilient to the effects of climate change. We are already experiencing hotter, drier summers and warmer, wetter winters. With this we have seen an increase in incidents of severe weather such as storms and flooding. We will work with partners through the Kent Resilience Forum to plan and prepare for these impacts and minimise the risk to communities.
We will work with Kent County Council on the Kent and Medway Climate Change Adaptation Programme and Implementation Plan, which aims to assess and prioritise risks and impacts climate change will have on key sectors. Working in collaboration with partners we will focus activity to fully understand and prepare for current and future risks such as flooding, which is recognised as a key risk for the borough. We are members of the Medway Flood Partnership at both a strategic and operational level.
We will work with communities and businesses to increase resilience to future changes in climate, such as promoting the Flood Warden Scheme, assisting businesses and residents to prepare and adapt to climate change and ensuring that spaces and habitats are well adapted to a changing climate. We will also protect and enhance native species and habitats, promoting opportunities for environmental management and enhancement.
Sustainable development
We have a key role in ensuring that new housing and development in the borough is as sustainable as possible. Planning policies and controls are in place to ensure that any new growth takes into account sustainability issues, such as reducing the need to travel, minimising energy and water consumption and the ability to harness energy from renewable sources.
Planning policies and development allocations are being updated in the new Local Plan, to ensure that developments respond to sustainability considerations, these include:
- developments which maximise opportunities to reduce energy demands through the orientation of habitable rooms to harness natural light and through landscaping to prevent over heating (draft policy LP14)
- developments which maximise opportunities where practicable for sustainable travel, including contributions towards off site infrastructure as well as walking and cycling routes and infrastructure, reflecting the amount of movement generated and the nature and location of each site (draft policy LP23)
- major developments will, where practicable and proportionate, provide opportunities for habitat creation (draft policy LP19), and where possible maximise opportunities for net biodiversity gains on site (draft policies LP27-31)
- new dwellings will be required to make provision for an electric vehicle charging point with each property. This is also required where practicable and proportionate for non-residential developments
- new dwellings will be required to meet the Building regulations optional requirement for tighter water efficiency of 110 litres/person/day (draft policy LP44)
We are mindful that Housing Standards Review in 2014 resulted in the coalition government winding down the voluntary Code for Sustainable Homes, and made it clear that local plans should not be setting any additional local technical standards or requirements relating to the energy performance of new dwellings. The view taken by the government was that the energy performance of new build homes is a matter for the national Building Regulations regime.
The submitted Local Plan responds well to the sections of the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) addressing ‘Planning for climate change’. Where the Local Plan is silent on a specific issue, the NPPF and this Climate change strategy will remain material planning considerations to be taken into account in determining future planning applications. The Plan will be subject to review once adopted and any new national policy initiatives, including for climate change, will form part of that exercise.
It is anticipated that the government will introduce the Future Homes Standard by 2025, which will set new requirements for new homes built in England via Part L and Part F of the Building Regulations. It is anticipated that this will require new build homes to be future-proofed with low carbon heating, and worldleading levels of energy efficiency, as a consequence the installation of gas boilers will cease.