Report of the Strategic Director (Growth and Development)

This report considers the role of district centres in contributing to the zero carbon targets by 2038. It covers key issues that will need to be considered in future policy development, particularly with respect to the new Local Plan. It also considers the role of the revised Climate Change Action Plan and the work of the Overview and Scrutiny Climate Change Subgroup in determining how district centres may contribute towards a zero carbon city by 2038.

The Subgroup received a report of the Strategic Director (Growth and Development) which considered the role of district centres in contributing to the zero carbon targets by 2038. It covered key issues that would need to be considered in future policy development, particularly with respect to the new Local Plan. It also considered the role of the revised Climate Change Action Plan and the work of the Overview and Scrutiny Climate Change Subgroup in determining how district centres might contribute towards a zero carbon city by 2038.

Officers referred to the main points and themes within the report which included:

• The digital economy;

·         Public transport and accessibility;

·         Urban living;

·         Transport and land use policy;

• Climate change adaptation/mitigation; and
• Policy options.

In response to a question from the Chair, the Planning and Infrastructure Manager reported that this was a period of change for district centres and that district centres in the future could increasingly have other uses, for example, more residential use.  He advised that the Council’s plans needed the right balance between a flexible approach which enabled district centres to successfully change and develop and maintaining a degree of control to ensure that they retained important features.  He outlined how the Council’s Local Plans had changed over the years from being very retail focused and prescriptive about the types of retail units required to having a greater degree of flexibility, while still wanting control over some uses, such as takeaways and betting shops.  The Head of Local Planning and Infrastructure and City Policy reported that the key principle was that a district centre should be the focus of the community and enable people to meet their basic needs, not just in terms of shopping but services such as GP surgeries, without having to drive to other areas.  

The Chair asked what could be done to help people to make their buildings more energy efficient.  A Member highlighted that this responsibility might rest with the landlord rather than the tenant leasing the building.  The Head of Local Planning and Infrastructure and City Policy reported that many buildings in district centres were 100 years old, with poor insulation and a large carbon footprint.  He advised that it was important to engage better with business owners and landlords and to look at what tools could be made available to them to provide them with support in addressing this; however, he acknowledged that retro-fitting district centre buildings was a challenge and it was likely that this would require some funding.

The Executive Member for Housing and Regeneration informed Members about work that the Compliance Team had been carrying out to target rogue landlords, including in relation to flats above shops.  She advised that this work, and the information gathered, could be linked in with a piece of work on making district centre buildings more energy efficient and that priority should be given to buildings where there were concerns about the well-being of residents living there.  The Chair welcomed this suggestion.

Decision

To note the report.