Planning Department

Local Planning Guidance Note No.22 - Sustainable Building

This is one of a series of local planning guidance notes, amplifying local planning policies in a clear and concise format, with the objectives of raising awareness and improving design standards. It outlines the Council's requirements for sustainable buildings and will form a material consideration in the determination of all relevant planning applications.

David Wilson Homes plc,
four bedroomed Eco-house.
Photograph courtesy of: The University of Nottingham, School of the Built Environment. www.nottingham.ac.uk/sbe (external website)

This guidance applies to:

Dwellings. 10 or more, or a site area of 0.5 ha or more, where the number of dwellings is not shown.
All other proposals. Where the proposed floorspace is 1,000 square metres (gross) or more, or with a site area of 1.00 hectare or more, where the floor space is not shown.

Sustainable Development is a key objective of planning. The Council's Development Plan provides the strategic context for sustainable development through its land use policies, which focus on:

An efficient and careful use of land, energy and water (and other natural resources).
Minimising waste and encouraging the recycling of materials.
Maximising least harmful forms of movement and transport.
Protecting and enhancing natural and built environments.
Facilitating economic and social regeneration.

Please note:

An environmental site appraisal is an examination of the site and its surroundings to identify problems and opportunities, e.g. wildlife, topography, landscape features, travelling facilities and ground conditions. Further guidance on such appraisals can be obtained from the planning department.

Your Proposal

Proposals should include an environmental site appraisal and accord with all of the six 'sustainability' planning principles outlined in this guidance note.

These guidelines cannot cover all the issues and applicants and agents are advised to discuss proposals on an informal basis with a planning officer, prior to the formal submission of an application.

For proposals of local or regional significance, the advice of the Design Commission for Wales should be sought (details in appendix 1).

Use the advice in this guidance note to produce a sustainability statement, which should be submitted with your planning application. There is a summary sheet at the end of this guidance for you to assess of your proposal. A minimum of six positive features should be achieved by your proposal. The headings in the summary sheet will help you during any pre-application discussions with planning officers and statutory consultees, and subsequently for your planning application submission.

Sufficient detailed information should be provided to enable the Planning Department to properly assess your proposal. The Planning Department will check whether sustainable building is achieved through the planning process.

Steps you should follow to achieve sustainable building

STEP 1

Undertake an environmental site appraisal.

STEP 2.

Asses your proposal against the 6 'Sustainability' Planning Principles in this guidance:

Location and layout.
Building Design.
Supplying and using energy and water.
Waste Management.
Transport and Access.
Promoting wildlife and building in local distinctiveness.

STEP 3

Plan site design.

1 Location and Layout

Where appropriate, include for mixed uses, to encourage reduced trip numbers and combined trips.
Design layouts to minimise the need to travel, with provision for cycling, walking and public transport within and beyond the site.
Consider the potential for re-using buildings.
Maximise the use of natural daylight and solar energy in site layouts. This is best achieved in south facing layouts. Aim for road layouts to form an east-west axis, maximising the potential for solar benefits. (see fig 1)

Fig. 1

Fig. 2

Orientate the longest face of buildings within 30 degrees of south; preferably a southeasterly orientation, benefiting from earlymorning daylight and avoiding afternoon overheating (see fig.2).
Avoid overshadowing effects- particularly when site adjoins nearby buildings, trees and fences. Design with greater distances between buildings, in particular for north facing layouts.
The degree of overshadowing will vary throughout the year. Generally, design to provide;
taller buildings to the north.

plant trees carefully to avoid reducing the benefits of natural energy and daylight.

higher density buildings positioned to the north of detached properties.

a 3 to 1 distance between walls to height of properties. Layouts should not compromise on measures to achieve privacy (see fig.3). Local Planning Guidance Note 21, 'Space around Dwellings,' contains further guidance relating to privacy measures.
Include a high density of uses, particularly if:
close to existing public transport.

new/additional public transport facilities are proposed.

other energy benefits e.g. type of building. Terraced, semi-detached houses and flats generate less potential for heat loss. The more compact a building, the higher the energy savings.

there is potential for using other energy technologies e.g. Combined Heat and Power (CHP)/ District Heating System. (refer to Section 3, page 3 ).
Design site layouts for wind protection. Group or stagger buildings; avoid long passages and short gaps between buildings. To avoid channelling wind and creating areas of high wind speeds, taller buildings should be carefully positioned. Where appropriate, site higher density buildings (terraced housing or taller buildings) to provide protection from prevailing winds.
Vegetation can shelter sites from prevailing winds. Local Planning Guidance note 7 ‘Landscape and Development’ provides advice on the most suitable planting.
Site layouts should also provide wind protection and facilities for pedestrians, cyclists and for people with sensory or physical disabilities. Local Planning Guidance Note 6, 'Access to and use of buildings' provides further detailed guidance.
Site house entrances away from prevailing winds, and protect with a porch or lobby.

Fig. 3

2 Building Design

Roof pitches should provide durability, flexibility, and maximise the potential for solar technology.
Include photovoltaic (pv) modules; and active solar panels to produce energy. (Solar power is capable of providing significant heating savings).
Using the roof space as an additional room will reduce overshadowing, instead of building another storey
Where practical, use building materials that will enhance wildlife e.g. 'green' turf roofs, which will also reduce rainwater run off (refer to Principle No. 3 for further advice on water measures).
Avoid large windows on the northern elevation, where it is preferable to locate 'buffer' areas e.g. toilets, kitchens, cloakrooms, storage spaces and stairs, and adjoining outbuildings, which require less heating and occupancy.
Main habitable rooms should be on the south side.
Include conservatories to provide additional solar benefits, taking into consideration the potential for overheating on south elevations.
Avoid overglazing which will lead to overheating in summer and loss of heat in winter.
Use roof overhangs as protection against rain and for summer shading.
Buildings need ventilation. Natural ventilation is the best method. Consider windows, and other features e.g. trickle ventilation, and systems that use cool and hot air.
Choose materials carefully; prioritise those with least environmental impact. Consider:
Local raw supplies e.g. stone, slate.

Materials with low manufacturing input e.g. straw, cork, hemp and timber from a sustainable source. Avoid, as far as possible, materials with high manufacturing input e.g. steel, plastic, concrete, and artificial products.

Recycled materials. Demolition and redevelopment proposals should provide statements covering the potential for recycling existing materials. Planning conditions may be attached to use recycled materials. Most materials, provided their construction qualities and appearance are suitable, are capable of being reclaimed and re-used, e.g. stone, slates, tiles, timber, paving and bricks. Consider the most appropriate method of cleaning re-used material. In the interest of reducing architectural thefts, the provenance of recycled materials should be established.
Reduce heat loss in winter and excess solar gains in summer e.g. insulate the roof, walls and floors. From the types of insulation available, consider naturally produced ones e.g. straw bale, cellulose fibre, wool and cork. North facing buildings in particular should include super-insulation methods, e.g.triple glazing.

3 Supplying and using energy and water

Proposals should maximise natural energy sources, e.g. wind, water and sun and other renewable energy technologies e.g. geothermal, biomass and anaerobic digestion. Whenever industrial /commercial uses are involved, investigate Combined Heat and Power (CHP) for community and space heating. CHP is a single process to provide both electricity and heat.
Limit the supply, use and demand for water. Consider foul and surface water drainage at the earliest stage, e.g. establish the suitability of using Sustainable Drainage Systems (SUDS) to control flooding and pollution. SUDS can also provide habitat opportunities.
Design for the storage and recycling of rainwater from roof runoffs and other hard surfaces and, where appropriate, treat sewage ('black water'). Use permeable surfaces for parking and walking areas. Further guidance is available from the Environment Agency.
(See appendix 1)

4 Waste management

Construction and demolition waste - identify the potential to re-use and ecycle all materials. Proposals involving demolition will have to demonstrate the recycling of existing on site materials.
Reduce and recycle waste. Use the following principles;
All recycling facilities should be positioned at a safe and convenient point, well designed and sympathetically screened. Fig 4 illustrates the minimum standards for recycling facilities. The Council will expect all developments to consider new techniques for separation and storage of waste. Further guidance is available from the Council's Recycling Officer.

Residential

All houses, including flats, should have space for storage of recycled materials and a compost area. Include attractive and adequately spaced communal recycling bins/containers to separate products e.g. paper, glass, aluminium and plastic. Provide composting facilities - for on site composting or collection.

Commercial

Include adequate on site space for easy waste separation, storage and collection. Also, provide recycling facilities for customers.

Fig 4

Dimensions of neighbourhood recycling centre six in a row

5 Transport and access

Design to reduce car use by linking to existing and providing new facilities for pedestrians, cyclists, public transport networks and local services. Proposals for housing should be within 400m, a five minute walk, of a range of services and a maximum distance of 1km from wider community benefits e.g. schools, health centre, woodland/informal open area and composting facility.
If accessibility to all services is available, a minimum site average density of 30 units per hectare should be achieved for housing. Higher densities, may be acceptable in some cases, particularly urban sites.
Discussions with public transport operators will establish local needs e.g. bus stops; diverting an existing bus route through a site and/or new bus routes to serve the site; new rail stop; subsidising a community service, such as a local taxi/bus. (See Traveline Cymru, appendix 1).
Cycling and pedestrian routes and crossings should be designed to be safe, visible and pleasant to use, linking with local and key facilities. Include the design points in the Local Planning Guidance Notes No. 15 'Cycling', and No. 24 'Designing out Crime'.
Designs should incorporate traffic management measures that minimise the flow and speed of vehicles and provide pedestrians and cyclists priority and safety (e.g. 'Home Zone').
Reduce car parking in new developments, e.g. setting up a car sharing scheme; flexible working practices; subsidised bus travel, contribution to a Park & Ride facility.

6 Promoting wildlife and building in local distinctiveness

Maximise the opportunity to support wildlife and in particular native species. E.g. a variety of buildings and uses, with low movement levels provide more benefits for supporting wildlife (see fig. 5). Proposals involving a number of small building units, have ‘limited green space areas’, low variety of uses, a high level of traffic movement within the site, providing less opportunities to support wildlife.
Green wedges, buffers and links, which provide routes and networks with existing landscape features, should be supported and created within and around the development.
Provide a variety of new habitats within and around sites e.g. woodlands, hedgerows, water and wetland habitats, ‘communal allotments’, nature reserves, ‘public parks’, gardens and squares. Local Planning Guidance Notes: No 7 ' Landscape and Development'; No 17 ' Trees and Development'; No 10 ' Public Open Space Provision in new Housing Developments'; together with the Wrexham Biodiversity Action Plan Guides, provide further advice, including on maintenance and landscape quality.
Provide bird and bat boxes, or specially designed voids, within buildings and use untreated timber.
The Council can advise you on habitats to support threatened and valuable species.
The scale and siting of development should respect adjacent historical and landmark buildings, and distinctive spaces. Special attention should be given to preserving and enhancing the character of listed buildings and conservation areas. Local Planning Guidance Note 4, 'Conservation Areas' provides further guidance.
Development should complement local building character, which includes both environmental and cultural factors, and follow good urban design principles.

For further information contact:

Chief Planning Officer
Lambpit Street, Wrexham, LL11 1AR
Telephone: (01978) 292017
Fax: (01978) 292502
Adopted July 2004

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LPG Note No.22 - Sustainable Building

Click below to download the guide in PDF format.

LPG Note No.22 - Sustainable Building - PDF Format 65kb

Environmental Site Appraisal

Click below to download the document in PDF format.

Environmental Site Appraisal - PDF Format 12kb

Sustainability Statement Form