Report of the Strategic Director Growth and Development

This report considers how planning policy can seek to address climate change, with specific consideration of the emissions associated with the construction phase. The report also includes an update on the Local Plan and climate related issues.

The Committee considered the report of the Strategic Director, Growth and Development that described how planning policy could seek to address climate change, with specific consideration of the emissions associated with the construction phase.

Key points and themes in the report included:

·         An update on the Local Plan and climate related issues;

·         A summary of the emerging evidence base that would help inform draft planning policies in the Manchester Local Plan around construction standards;

·         Noting that the evidence base had been prepared with the support of the members of the Manchester Climate Change Partnership and wider industry experts;

·         Information on the Manchester Climate Change Partnership’s City Challenge Net Zero New Buildings task and finish group that had been established to convene the expertise and capacity of local stakeholders towards increasing the low carbon standards of new buildings and support the refresh of Manchester’s Local Plan, noting that their findings and recommendations would be published in a final report, due to be published before the end of 2023;

·         An update on The Places for Everyone joint local plan; and

·         Discussion of the consideration around the Planning Application Process.

Some of the key points that arose from the Committee’s discussions were:

·         Noting that the 2022 Framework Update stated that to meet the city's plan to be Zero Carbon by 2038, all new buildings in the city from 2023 should be Zero Carbon and asking for an update on this;

·         Did the work reported ensure that Manchester was compliant with The Paris Agreement;

·         Members appointed to the Planning Committee should receive awareness training on this subject area;

·         Noting that emissions associated with the construction phase could be significant, especially in those locations where there were multiple projects underway in close proximity, and what was being done to mitigate this;

·         Examples of good proactive innovation, such as the West Gorton Sponge Park should be replicated across developments; and

·         Recognising the important work of the Manchester Climate Change Partnership and wider industry experts in informing this important work.

The Director of Planning, Building Control and Licensing commented that she was mindful that there were a number of new Members on the Committee and stated that she would provide a briefing note on the Local Plan that would be circulated to all members of the Committee for information.

The Planning and Infrastructure Manager commented that buildings and the building process was recognised as a significant contributor to carbon emissions, hence the focus of the work described throughout the report. He said that the approach would be to consider emissions in the context of the whole life cycle of building. He said this approach would be tracked and reported as part of the ongoing reporting of the city’s overall carbon budget. In response to the discussion regarding net zero buildings, he said the adoption of The Places for Everyone joint local plan and the emerging Manchester Local Plan would include an evidence based Net Zero new development policy. He added that there was good practice already being applied within new developments across the city including the use of standards such as BREEAM (BREEAM was the world’s leading science-based suite of validation and certification systems for a sustainable built environment) and NABERS (NABERS UK was a simple, reliable system for rating the energy efficiency of office buildings across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland).  In response to the comments raised regarding Biodiversity Net Gain he described that significant work was already underway in Manchester in regard to this, noting that a report considered by the Committee at their February 2023 meeting discussed this.

The Planning Section Manager said that all proposed developments were required to submit an Environmental Impact Assessment, and this included consideration of the 10% requirement of Biodiversity Net Gain, adding that they always challenged developers to deliver more. He said that all major developments were subject to a Construction Management Plan. This provided a framework of control, which was subsequently embedded in a condition of planning permission. He commented that enforcement action could be taken by relevant departments for any breach of these conditions, noting that some breaches would be subject to different legislation. He added that Construction Management Plans were used to mitigate the worst impacts on residents when developments were in the construction phase.

The Executive Member for Housing and Development made reference to the number of new build, zero carbon social housing that had been delivered and stated that the Council remained committed to being net zero by 2038. He further acknowledged the comments raised regarding training for members of the Planning Committee and stated that this would be considered with a view to progressing this.

The Chair expressed her appreciation for the work undertaken by the Manchester Climate Change Partnership and wider industry experts to consider the current wider policy background and guidance documents for net zero, financial implications for net zero, evidence base of developments and their performance in terms of carbon, and recommendations for planning policy in relation to Net Zero development. She further noted an invitation to visit some examples of development good practice in relation to commercial properties that had been developed and that she would liaise with officers outside of the meeting.

Decision

To note the report.