Re: Policies on Requiring New Homes to be built to Code Standards - Public forum - Planning Advisory Service (PAS)

Brighton and Hove have adopted an SPD requiring such standards. Go to www.brighton-hove.gov.uk and search for SPD08 'Sustainable Building Design'.

Canterbury City Council also have an adopted SPD requiring the Code for Sustainable Homes standards entitled "Sustainable Construction". At the moment the requirement is to reach Level 3 but that is to go up to Level 4 as of April this year. Link to the SPD is http://www.canterbury.gov.uk/main.cfm?objectid=952. I have attached a copy anyway.

Interesting. I note that no viability testing appears to have been done upfront on either of these SPD, but is left to the developer to prove that meeting the required level (set out in a Core Strategy?) is not viable. This prompts me to ask: - Has this caused any issues either at Appeal or in site specific negotiations? - How much is achieving the CfSH standard seen as a priority for each Council in relation to, say, on-site affordable housing provision; education contributions; or other planning obligations? In other words, if meeting the Code level removes scope for any other contributions, are they waived? I'm assuming few sites can hit the required Level and also meet all other S106 requests. Thanks

I've just come across an event that BRE Global are running in June to share good practice on developing policies with Code/BREEAM requirements. http://www.breeam.org/eventdetails.jsp?id=3963 The event will also cover pre-application discussions and discharging conditions on these topics. More information and guidance is on their website: http://www.breeam.org/page.jsp?id=268

The conference Helen referred to above is also running on dates in June and July 2011 http://www.breeam.org/eventdetails.jsp?id=4970