4. Place Shaping

4.1 The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) 2021 attaches great importance to the design of the built environment and states that good design should contribute positively to making places better for people. Development should contribute to creating places that encourage mixed communities, promote walking and cycling, improve access to public transport, and ensure that new development connects with existing parks and open spaces for recreation. Our Plan will also protect the Borough’s historic environment, including our listed buildings and Conservation Areas, which contribute to the Borough’s character, sense of place and quality of life.

4.2 The Council declared a climate emergency in October 2020 and recognises that climate change is the greatest challenge currently facing us. Every decision we take must count towards reducing carbon emissions and both climate change mitigation and. Our Local Plan will help to support the transition to a low carbon future, helping to address the climate emergency, taking account of flood risk.

Responding to the climate emergency

4.3 The Local Plan plays a key role in addressing the climate emergency by reducing carbon dioxide emissions and supporting the transition to a zero carbon future. As well as helping to deliver improvements to flood risk, air quality, recycling and waste management.

4.4 Our climate is changing as a result of human activity and this will have substantial implications for society and our environment if we do not act. The council is committed to responding to climate change and has declared a climate change emergency in October 2020 joining a growing number of domestic and international authorities that have adopted a carbon-neutral target. Across the Council's services, all strategic decisions, budgets and approaches to planning decisions will be aligned with the goal of achieving a shift to carbon neutrality. The Council intends to accelerate its efforts by introducing greener buildings, transportation, greener investments and increasing renewable energy.

4.5 Working with other Surrey districts and Boroughs, and Surrey County Council, Surrey’s Greener Futures Climate Change Strategy (2020-2050) and Climate Change Delivery Plan (2021) have been produced. The Local Plan will play a central role in delivering a number of aims set out in both. A central thread of the Local Plan is to plan for a low-carbon future in which carbon emissions and other greenhouse gases are reduced and we tackle and adapt to the new climatic norms.

4.6 The council will take a proactive approach to mitigating the effects of, and adapting to, climate change to ensure the future resilience of both communities and infrastructure. This includes locating new development in locations that reduces reliance on private motor vehicles as well as being designed and constructed in a way to achieve low or zero carbon buildings and facilitates more sustainable lifestyles including supporting the ability to work flexibly.

PS1: Responding to the climate emergency

All development must respond to the climate emergency by:
1. Directing development towards locations that minimise the need to travel and maximise the ability to make trips by sustainable modes of transport including cycling, walking and public transport.
2. Delivering an efficient use of land especially on the most accessible sites.
3. Providing more walkable and cyclable neighbourhoods (Twenty Minute Neighbourhoods) that reduce demand for the use of private vehicles.
Sustainable design and construction will be integral to new development in the Borough. All planning applications¹¹ must include evidence that the below will be addressed, using as a minimum the Sustainable Construction Checklist:
1. Maximising energy efficiency and integrating the use of renewable and zero carbon energy (demonstrated though an energy statement);
2. Optimising the site orientation, building form, layout, landscaping and materials to maximise natural light and heat, whilst avoiding internal overheating by providing passive cooling and ventilation;
3. Incorporate sustainable construction and demolition techniques that provide for the efficient use of minerals including a proportion of recycled or secondary aggregates, and encourage the re-use of construction and demolition waste at source or its separation and collection for recycling;
In residential development (including replacements, conversions and subdivisions)
1. Achieve water efficiency of 110 litres per person per day¹² and where feasible provide rainwater harvesting techniques;
2. Incorporate active electrical vehicle charging points in accordance with the latest guidance issued by Surrey County Council¹³;
3. Where CHP distribution networks already exist, new developments are required to connect to them or be connection-ready, unless it can be clearly demonstrated that utilising a different energy supply would be more sustainable or connection is not feasible. The impacts of the CHP plants emissions upon air quality must be assessed in accordance with Policy E4;
4. Incorporate measures for the secure storage of cycles and storage of waste including recyclable waste;
Proposals for zero carbon development are strongly supported and the development of renewable, low and zero carbon and decentralised energy¹⁴, are strongly supported and encouraged.
New homes should achieve a 31% reduction on the Dwelling Emission Rate (DER) against the Target Emission Rate (TER) based on the 2013 Edition of the 2010 Building Regulations (Part L). A fabric first approach shall be prioritised, ensuring that at a minimum the thermal performance of the whole envelope exceeds that of the notional specification by 5%¹⁵.
Applications for major development are expected to include information setting out:
1. how the energy hierarchy has been applied and how sustainable design and construction practice will be incorporated.
2. applications should be accompanied by Construction Management Plans, which seek to manage the impact of construction traffic on the local and strategic transport networks
Smaller developments (including refurbishment, conversion and extensions to existing buildings) should include information proportionate to the scale of the development proposed.

Definitions

4.7 Zero carbon development means development where emissions from all regulated energy use are eliminated or offset. This definition may be reviewed in the future.

4.8 The definition of major development includes residential development of 10 dwellings or more (gross) and non-residential development of 1,000 sqm gross new floorspace or more.

4.9 Sustainability and energy statements should set out a level of detail proportionate to the scale of development.

Reasoned Justification

4.10 In June 2019, the Government announced that the UK will ‘eradicate its net contribution to climate change by 2050’ by legislating for net zero emissions – the first G7 country to do so. In order to reach this target, all buildings will need to be net zero carbon by 2050. In April 2021 Spelthorne Borough Council declared a climate emergency and has committed to work with the local community and all other relevant partner agencies to support making the Borough carbon neutral as soon as practically possible.

4.11 The Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) considers climate change to be one of the most crucial issues facing our communities today, and the increasing occurrence of severe climate-change related weather events is just a reminder of the urgency of this issue. The RTPI have asked the Government must reintroduce the requirement for all new-build homes to be zero-carbon¹⁶ and resources should be made available to help existing homes become carbon neutral.

4.12 The Council considers that sustainable design is indivisible from good design and that requiring sustainable design features in development is justified. The NPPF (para 148) sets out that the planning system should help to shape places in ways that minimise vulnerability and improve resilience and support renewable and zero carbon energy and associated infrastructure. The NPPF also sets out that planning should provide net gains in biodiversity.

4.13 The Planning Policy Guidance note titled Housing: Optional Technical Standards, sets out standards which can be adopted in Local Plan policies which go beyond the mandatory requirements of the Building Regulations for water efficiency and accessibility.

4.14 The policy sets a thermal performance target (higher fabric energy efficiency standard) exceeding current national because it is important to ensure that buildings do not need to be retrofitted at expense at a later date when more demanding regulations are introduced. For example if the Government proceeds with the Climate Change Committee’s recent proposal that from 2028 no home should be able to be sold unless it reaches EPC B and C. This will also help safeguard against future heat decarbonisation pathways, by ensuring that new buildings can more easily transition to lower carbon heating sources in the near future. This is particularly pertinent for decarbonisation trajectories involving heat pumps, as effective use of the technology will require highly insulated and draught-proofed buildings to operate efficiently.

4.15 The South East of England is likely to face significant challenges from changing climate and weather patterns. To avoid the costs associated with retrofitting and replacement new buildings should be future proofed, suited to, and easily adaptable for, the range of climate conditions and weather patterns we are likely to see over the next century, and adaptable to new technologies. The buildings we build today are likely to be with us into the next century, therefore it is beneficial to build adaptable and efficient developments.

4.16 The purpose of the checklist is to highlight sustainable construction matters that developers can consider. It is not intended to duplicate the elements of sustainable construction that are incorporated into the building regulations. It will enable the Council to assess which sustainable construction principles have been considered in development proposals for new build and/or refurbishment of existing buildings, but does not seek to prescribe a set standard or requirement. The Council encourages a holistic approach where sustainable construction considerations are taken fully into account from initial project thinking through to development completion. This approach should achieve high quality sustainable development which is responsive to people’s needs and can help avoid unnecessary project delay.

4.17 The future is likely to see a mix of zero carbon technologies used for heating. A government publication Clean Growth: Transforming Heating, an evidence review of the options for decarbonising heat, concluded that it is unlikely that there will be a one-size-fits all solution, so multiple technologies will play a role. The Future Homes Standard expects heat pumps will become the primary heating technology for new homes. The consultation response document states heat pumps are highly efficient, providing around three times the amount of heat compared to the electricity used. It goes on to say heat networks will also have an important role to play and are often an excellent solution for new buildings in towns and cities because of their ability to integrate the lowest-carbon heat sources. Heat networks are the only way to exploit larger scale renewable and recovered heat sources such as energy from waste, waste heat and heat from rivers and mines.

Sustainability Appraisal Indicators

Sustainability Appraisal Indicators

Monitoring Indicators

Indicator	Target	Data Source
Megawatts of installed small scale low and zero carbon energy capacity	Increase in number	Ofgem Feed in Tariff quarterly reports
Number of new dwellings complying with higher water efficiency standard	All new homes to comply with standard	Building regulations final certificates

Key Evidence

RTPI (2018): Rising to the Climate Crisis: A Guide for Local Authorities on Planning for Climate Change. Available at https://www.rtpi.org.uk/media/3568/rising-to-the-climate-crisis-1.pdf
The New Homes Policy Playbook
The Future Homes Standard: 2019 Consultation on changes to Part L (conservation of fuel and power) and Part F (ventilation) of the Building Regulations for new dwellings Summary of responses received and Government response
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/956094/Government_response_to_Future_Homes_Standard_consultation.pdf

PS2: Designing places and spaces

The Council will require a high standard in the design and layout of new development. Proposals for new development should demonstrate that they will:
- create buildings and places that are attractive with their own distinct identity;
- respect and make a positive contribution to the street scene and the character of the area in which they are situated; and
- pay due regard to the scale, height, proportions, building lines, layout, materials and other characteristics of adjoining buildings and land.

Impact on neighbours

Proposals for new development should demonstrate that they will achieve a satisfactory relationship to adjoining properties avoiding adverse and un-neighbourly impacts in terms of loss of privacy, daylight or sunlight, or overbearing effect due to bulk and proximity or outlook.

Accessibility

All new development will be designed to meet the needs of all users and be accessible to all. This includes the setting of the building in the wider environment, the location of the building on the plot, the gradient of the plot, transport infrastructure and public realm.

Landscaping

All new development should:
1. incorporate landscape to enhance the setting of the development;
2. avoid the loss of trees and other vegetation worthy of retention and supplemented with additional high-quality planting, or where retention is not feasible or desirable provide for high quality replacement planting; and
3. provide for suitable boundary treatment to enhance the setting.

Public Realm

All development proposals should:
1. seek to positively impact on public realm through:
  - enhancing the quality of existing public realm where appropriate;
  - establishing relationships between development proposals and existing public realm;
  - maximising opportunities to create new public realm where appropriate.
2. ensure that public realm is well-designed, safe, inclusive, attractive, well- connected, adaptable, related to the local and historical context and easy to understand, service and maintain. Landscape treatment, planting, street furniture and surface materials should be of good quality, fit-for-purpose, durable and sustainable; and
3. seek to incorporate green infrastructure such as street trees and other vegetation into the public realm to support rainwater management through sustainable drainage, reduce exposure to air pollution, moderate surface and air temperature and increase biodiversity; and
4. ensure appropriate management, maintenance and governance arrangements are in place to secure the quality of public realm in perpetuity.

Safe, connected and efficient streets

All new development will be designed:
1. in a manner which is safe and welcoming, supporting natural surveillance through the use of active frontages and mixed used development. This will ensure maximum opportunities for natural security through layout and design, to reduce opportunities for crime and antisocial behaviour; and
2. Secured by Design standards should be incorporated and consideration given to how an area functions at different times of day, on different days of the week and throughout the year.
3. to ensure it connects appropriately to existing street patterns and creates safe and accessible spaces. Proposals should offer safe, attractive, legible and permeable routes which are suitable for all users, linking people with places through active and sustainable travel choices delivered to best practice standards and in accordance with the principals set out in the National Model Design Code¹⁷ and Manual for Streets¹⁸.

Major developments and allocated sites

Given the size, function and proposed density of major developments, particularly those exceeding 50 dwellings, tall buildings and/or allocated sites on former Green Belt land, it may not always be desirable to reflect locally distinct patterns of development. These sites should create their own identity to ensure cohesive and vibrant neighbourhoods. High rise development in appropriate locations will be expected to be supported by a visual impact assessment and demonstrate a positive contribution to the skyline through its architectural merits. In Staines, the Development Framework will provide site specific guidance on the design of larger and tall buildings. On a case-by-case basis, it may be appropriate for larger developments to be shaped by a design panel review process at the applicant’s expense, and in conjunction with the Council.

Definitions

4.18 The public realm includes all the includes all publicly accessible space between buildings, whether public or privately owned, including but not limited to streets and squares, public open spaces and river environs.

Reasoned Justification

4.19 High quality in the design and layout of new development is fundamental to achieving identified needs and creating places where people want to live and will thrive. Design is not just limited to the appearance of development, it includes many other elements such as layout and orientation which can contribute to creating safe and secure environments and will impact how much energy occupiers use over a buildings lifetime. The design of the built environment has a direct effect on how places are used. The relationship between buildings, spaces and landscape is important as well as the more detailed design and materials used. Good design will influence how people move around our settlements, how they interact and how places make people feel. When considering applications, the Council place a high value on good design because of its importance and how it affects people’s daily lives.

4.20 The NPPF states that the creation of high quality buildings and places is fundamental to what the planning and development process should achieve. Good design is a key aspect of sustainable development, creates better places in which to live and work and helps make development acceptable to communities. Urban design and architecture can contribute to health outcomes through encouragement of more active lifestyles. Development should be encouraged to create places that result in mixed communities. It should cater for the needs of different types of people, including the young and old, encourage walking and cycling, improve access to public transport, and ensure that new development connects with existing parks and open spaces for recreation. Building exteriors and public realm should be designed in a way that contributes to pedestrian friendly environments.

4.21 Planning applications must be supported by design statements and the Council expects these to show how all the issues covered in the policy have been addressed. The level of detail required will be proportionate to the scale and nature of the development and for some small scale proposals, such as domestic extensions, some of the criteria may not be relevant.

4.22 The Council’s current SPD on design¹⁹ elaborates on this policy and is intended to be a practical guide to help achieve high standards of design. It is aimed at a wide audience which includes home owners, architects, developers and those affected by planning proposals.

4.23 Sport England have developed 10 principles to inspire and inform the layout of cities, towns, villages, neighbourhoods, buildings, streets and open spaces, to promote sport and active lifestyles. Below is a brief overview of these six of these principles which are supported by the Local Plan:

Activity for all neighbourhoods: Enabling those who want to be active, whilst encouraging those who are inactive to become active.
Walkable communities: Creating the conditions for active travel between all locations.
Connected walking and cycling routes: Prioritising active travel through safe, integrated walking and cycling routes.
Co-location of community facilities: Creating multiple reasons to visit a destination, minimising the number and length of trips and increasing the awareness and convenience of opportunities to participate in sport and physical activity.
Network of multifunctional open space: Providing multifunctional spaces opens up opportunities for sport and physical activity and has numerous wider benefits.
High quality streets and spaces: Well-designed streets and spaces suppo sustain a broader variety of users and community activities.

Sustainability Appraisal Indicators

Sustainability Appraisal Indicators

Monitoring Indicators

Indicator	Target	Data Source
Number of new developments achieving the “Built for Life” quality mark	N/A	Planning applications and appeals
Percentage of appeals allowed for applications originally refused for design reasons	Reduction in the percentage of appeals allowed that are considered to be poorly designed	Planning appeals

Key Evidence

Building for Life 12: The sign of a good place to live (Design Council, Third Edition 2013)
By Design, Urban Design in the planning system: towards better practice (DETR, 2000)
Active by Design: Designing places for healthy lives – A short guide (Design Council, 2014)
Technical housing standards – nationally described space standards (DCLG, 2015)
Secured by Design, Design Guides (Various years, available online at: http://www.securedbydesign.com/industry-advice-and-guides/)

PS3: Heritage, Conservation and Landscape

The Council will seek to preserve, conserve and enhance as appropriate the architectural, historic and landscape character of the Borough. The Council will also expect all new development proposals to make a positive contribution to the environment taking account of any relevant design codes.

Heritage

Proposals for development which may affect any heritage asset (designated or undesignated & including listed buildings) will be required to demonstrate, through the submission of appropriate appraisals and investigations and in a Design and Access Statement, that the asset and its setting will be conserved and enhanced.
The Council will support appropriate development which seeks to maintain, sustain and enhance the significance and special architectural and historic interest of Listed Buildings in the Borough.
Considerable weight will be given to the protection of a listed building and its setting. Development of a listed building, or development within the curtilage or within the vicinity of a listed building or structure, should conserve and/or enhance its setting and any features of special architectural or historical interest which it possesses
Proposals for extensions and or alterations to heritage assets must demonstrate that the development will respect the historic form, setting, fabric and any other aspects that contribute to the significance of the host building. Any features of architectural or historic interest should be retained in situ and repaired rather than replaced wherever possible.
The Council will keep under review all non-designated assets identified as being of local importance or distinctiveness and will, as necessary, identify new assets which contribute to the local character or distinctiveness of the area.
Where any heritage asset appears to be at risk, either through neglect, decay or other threats, and where its loss would cause significant harm, the Council will work with owners to secure the enhancement of the asset and its setting for the benefit of the local character, in conjunction with other partners.

Scheduled and Ancient Monuments & Archaeological Areas

Proposals for development will be required to conserve, and where appropriate, enhance the significance, historic features and importance of Scheduled and other nationally important ancient monuments (as shown on Policies \Map). Proposals which improve public access to, or the understanding of, a Scheduled Monument in a manner consistent with its conservation, will be supported.
Proposals for development which adversely affect the physical survival, setting or overall heritage significance of a scheduled or other nationally important ancient monument will not be supported.
Proposals for development on sites which affect, or have the potential to affect:
- scheduled Monuments;
- County Sites of Archaeological Importance (CSAI) or Areas of High Archaeological Potential (AHAP), as shown on the Policies Map
- all other sites which exceed 0.4ha in size. should:
1. Submit an archaeological assessment, and where appropriate the results of a site evaluation (and, should remains have been identified, an accompanying archaeological mitigation strategy) with a planning application.
2. Where archaeological finds are identified the first consideration will be in situ preservation. Where it can be demonstrated to the satisfaction of the Council that this is not feasible, the Council will require adequate excavation and an accurate record to be made of any archaeological remains which will be destroyed and the results to be made publicly accessible via the publication and archiving of any material recovered.

Conservation Areas

The Council will continue to conserve and enhance the character and setting of the existing conservation areas, as shown on the Policies Map. The Council will require proposals for new development to demonstrate that they will make a positive contribution to the setting and local character of the conservation area

Tree Preservation Orders

The Council will seek to ensure the effective use of Tree Preservation Orders to protect significant trees and will encourage the proper care and maintenance of trees by requiring owners to submit applications to work on protected trees and ensure that protected trees are replaced, if they have to be felled, with a suitable replacement.

Landscape

The Council will seek that new development respects the existing landscape character, avoids harm, and provides for the positive enhancement of the landscape by the design, scale and setting of any new building. Reference should be made to the most up-to-date Landscape Character Assessment or equivalent.
Development which would have a significant detrimental effect on the landscape setting of the Borough will only be permitted where it can be demonstrated that the harm is outweighed by substantial public benefits or other benefits that outweigh the harm to or loss of the landscape setting.
The Council will work with its partners in the public, private and voluntary sectors to develop and secure the implementation of projects designed to improve and maintain the landscape, particularly areas which have become degraded, derelict or contaminated and where remediation is necessary to provide opportunities for landscape enhancement and public enjoyment.

Reasoned Justification

4.24 The Borough contains an important legacy of historic buildings including nearly 200 statutorily Listed Buildings and a further 160 buildings and structures of local architectural or historic interest. Many of these are located within the eight Conservation Areas.

4.25 The NPPF requires local authorities to identify opportunities for the conservation, enjoyment and enhancement of heritage assets and their setting whilst having regard to the need to reflect and enhance local character and distinctiveness.

4.26 The NPPF also requires that new development is visually attractive and contributes to and enhances the natural and local environment and is sympathetic to local character and landscape.

4.27 The NPPF recognises that heritage assets are irreplaceable resources and requires Local Authorities to maintain and strengthen their commitment to stewardship of the historic environment, and to adopt suitable policies to protect it. The Council will work with partners such as Historic England and others to ensure that buildings of heritage value are maintained.

4.28 There are four scheduled ancient monuments within Spelthorne and these are:

Caesar’s Camp at Matthew Arnold School, Kingston Road SAM No. 146
Anglo-Saxon cemetery, west of Saxon Primary School, Briar Road SAM No. 142
Chertsey Bridge SAM No. 68
Lord Knyvett’s Schoolhouse, High Street, Stanwell SAM No. 147

Sustainability Appraisal Indicators

Sustainability Appraisal Indicators

Monitoring Indicators

Indicator	Target	Data Source
Number of buildings on EH Risk Register	No loss of Heritage Assets	UK Heritage at Risk Register
Number of buildings repaired and refurbished	No loss of Heritage Assets	Planning applications and surveys
Number of schemes in Conservation Areas providing positive enhancement	No loss of Heritage Assets	Planning applications and surveys
Area of land restored or enhanced	No derelict or degraded land	Survey and minerals and waste planning applications

Key Evidence

Register of Heritage Assets
Register of Buildings at Risk
Listed Buildings (statutory list)
Local List of Buildings and Structures of Historic Interest
UK Heritage at Risk Register
Conservation Areas
Landscape Character Areas
Archaeological Areas

¹¹ With the exception of applications for small householder extensions such as conservatories and porches and advertisement consent or prior notification

¹² through compliance with the Building Regulations which state that planning conditions can set the requirement to 110 litres rather than 125 litres

¹³ Currently incorporated in Surrey CC Vehicular and Cycle Parking Guidance (January 2018).

¹⁴ Where meeting the air quality requirements of Policy E4

¹⁵ The energy use intensity for new homes should be reported on a kWh/m2/year gross internal area (GIA) basis.

¹⁶ A zero-carbon homes policy was axed in 2015 by then business secretary Sajid Javid, without consultation, a year before the policy was supposed to be introduced.

¹⁷ https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-model-design-code and any subsequent updates

¹⁸ https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/manual-for-streets and any subsequent updates

¹⁹ Design of residential extensions and new residential development

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