Contact/Cyswllt:  Sian Cliff
02920 898342 / sian.cliff@wales.gov.uk

A political mantra has grown in the twenty-first century, which means that it is now obligatory for all leading politicians to demonstrate their understanding of climate change. Pressure has been growing to implement planning policies which will enable the reduction of carbon in the atmosphere and the development of a Zero Carbon Britain.

There is no problem with the vision – all politicians are signed up to tackle climate change but we need action at a local level to make this vision a reality. Planners will soon become the heroes of the future as they put this vision into action. As one of my own heroes David Lloyd George said “the finest eloquence is that which gets things done”.

As a member of the Welsh Assembly I am particularly interested in making Wales an exemplar of best practice in achieving Zero Carbon status, but I am aware of the different levels of Governance which control planning.

At this moment Directives from Europe are driving the agenda, but here in the UK a trilogy of Parliamentary Bills will have an enormous impact on the development of a Zero Carbon Britain. These Bills are the Climate Change Bill, the Energy Bill and the Planning Bill. By laying down the stepping stones they demonstrate that clear political leadership is necessary to lead the way to a zero carbon future.

The vital role that local authorities play in the planning process is being increasingly recognised but so far energy saving has mostly focussed on the social housing stock. In Wales nearly 80% of our housing stock is privately owned. Current powers do not allow the Welsh Assembly Government to change the overall structure of Local Development Plans, but this is something that may be addressed under the Planning Bill.

Our Minister for the Environment intends to use the Planning Bill to secure legislative competence for the National Assembly over Local Development Plans – this will give the Welsh Assembly more power to work with local authorities to think globally and act locally, as local authorities have a key role to play in focussing community action through their strategic partnerships and leadership.

One of the key areas of operation for planning policies is the residential sector. Housing demonstrates how quickly technological developments can reach zero carbon. The eco build exhibition which recently took place in Earl’s Court in London demonstrated the first affordable zero carbon home, which was built by the Zed factory and awarded Code 6 status of the Code for Sustainable Homes.

The Government in England is aiming to adopt this code for all new build by 2016. In Wales the target is somewhat more ambitious at 2011 and while the Code for Sustainable Homes will soon be introduced, this code is voluntary only. We need the power over building regulations to be devolved, so that all new developments in Wales can be built to the highest environmental standards possible.

However local authorities and planners must not sit back and wait for the upper levels of the political hierarchy to gain these powers. Uncertainty must not be an excuse for inaction. Local authorities will inevitably have some responsibility for helping to reduce carbon emissions in private housing under future legislation and the sooner carbon reduction practices are adopted the better.

In the meantime we must also tackle the challenge of our existing housing stock. Over two-thirds of properties that exist in 2050 are already standing. In Wales ‘hard to heat’ homes need the most attention as 37% of all homes are not on the gas network and 32% or properties have solid walls which are difficult and expensive to insulate.

The planning issue of how to make these houses cheaper and easier to heat is something that must be addressed if we are really serious about tackling climate change. Micro-generation must become a crucial part of the UK’s energy future. It can help reduce emissions, contribute to security of energy supply and help relieve fuel poverty. Feed-in tariffs could provide an incentive to boost the adoption of renewable energy and Smart Meters can encourage energy efficiency and behavioural change which is key to tackling climate change.

Devolution offers benefits in using and comparing experiences in devolved countries, in particular where innovative planning policies are developed and implemented. We must look to the local authorities that are already leading the way.

The Merton Rule is perhaps the best known piece of innovative planning that provides a step forward to a Zero Carbon Britain. The Merton Rule is an energy efficiency practice which states that 10% of the energy requirements of new developments must be met through on site renewable energy.

In Powys the CO2i domestic energy efficiency and renewable energy project ran for 18 months and saw the installation of numerous measures, including for example nearly 2,000 cavity wall insulations, over 2,500 loft insulations, 140 solar hot water panels, 300 hot water tank jackets and over 20,500 low energy light bulbs – great results!

The Whole Home Display in the Wates House at the Centre for Alternative Technology in Machynlleth is another excellent example of a low impact living house for the future and a great illustration of how to reduce the carbon footprint of your home.

But zero carbon planning is not just about the housing sector. It is planning based on the reduction of carbon, which means the embedding of carbon reduction across a wide range of policy. This includes buildings, waste, energy saving and production, transport and the delivery of all public services.

In the transport sector, mitigating climate change can only be achieved by reducing the need for travel. In 2005 travel comprised 43% of per capita carbon emissions so clearly this sector has a crucial role to play in the drive towards a low carbon future.

On a local level in Wales we must secure better routes for cyclists and pedestrians and plan better public transport strategies so that we can substitute road transport with rail and bus travel. On a UK and EU level we must plan to increase the fuel efficiency of private transport and increase the proportion of our fuels that come from renewable sources.

The ‘Zero Carbon Britain’ report from the Centre for Alternative Technology contains details of how a zero carbon Britain can be achieved and concludes that a zero carbon Britain is both “scientifically necessary” and “technically possible”. However this can only be achieved by embedding carbon appraisal and carbon reduction into every planning policy.

There is currently a lack of coherence between government policies and local planning authorities. The integration of all departments, both in government and local government, is essential for planning process to work to the benefit of society, the environment and the economy. Climate change will not halt in its tracks so we must not be pulled down by those who still need to wake up to the green agenda. We have to plan for a sustainable future, but the only future possible is a sustainable one and we need to prepare for it now.
 

End / Diwedd