Climate change and the broader concerns of ecological sustainability are rapidly becoming an integral part of all aspects of policy and cut across each section of the Bridport Area Neighbourhood Plan.
The fundamental imperative for managing climate change comes from the commitments made by the Government.
These obligations have been expressed in terms of a reduction in carbon emissions and have cascaded down into a wide range of subsidiary documents which were consulted in preparing this neighbourhood plan.
The impacts of climate change are already being felt across the world and the scientific consensus is that without urgent action they will increase in frequency and severity over the coming years. In the 2015 Paris Agreement, governments have agreed to act to limit global warming, further reinforcing the commitments made in the UK’s own 2008 Climate Change Act. This implies changes to the way the economy and society are run, and influences actions by the authorities, by industry, and by ordinary citizens. Bridport Town Council has a Climate Change Strategy which is reflected in actions in its Town Plan.
People need to find it easier to make low-carbon and climate-smart choices in the way they heat their homes, what they consume and how they travel. Research shows that people’s concern about climate change is on the rise, and peaks particularly in the aftermath of storms, floods and heatwaves. As these become more frequent, increasingly people will want to embrace greener lifestyles that might contribute to slowing down climate change. The choices being made, and their implications, should thus be transparent and open to public scrutiny.
Policy CC1 Publicising Carbon Footprint.
Applicants should seek to minimise the carbon footprint of development proposals and are encouraged to submit a statement setting out the anticipated carbon emissions of the proposed development.
The Climate Change Act 2008 sets a longterm target to cut emissions by 80% by 2050 and five year carbon budgets on track to that target. Due partly to economic recession and partly the phasing out of older coal-fired power plants, the UK is currently meeting its carbon budgets, but is not on track to meet the fourth, which covers the period 2023 to 2027. To meet that will require reducing emissions by at least 3% a year, with more measures in future than are currently in place.
West Dorset’s emissions are above the national average, due to its predominantly rural nature, with people having to travel further to go to work, schools, shops, and other services. In addition, West Dorset has high numbers of detached, older dwellings, which require more energy to heat. Houses account for 37% of Dorset’s carbon emissions and planning can encourage new homes to be more sustainably built, thereby meeting the need for houses that are cheaper to run.
The extent to which the Bridport Area Neighbourhood Plan can call for improved energy efficiency of new development is spelt out in the Ministerial Statement HCWS 488 where planning authorities are encouraged to set improved energy performance standards for new development. In the National Planning Policy Framework (February 2019), the Government states that local authorities are not restricted in their ability to require energy efficiency standards above Building Regulations
Successive government policies have committed to reducing carbon emissions, from the 2008 Climate Act, to the 2017 Clean Growth Strategy which specifically addresses the construction industry. Both the Town and Country Planning Act and the National Planning Policy Framework expect neighbourhood plans to have a positive impact on reducing carbon within their areas.
While appropriate Building Regulations have yet to be updated to deliver improved energy performance, the government has stated that ‘local authorities are not restricted in their ability to require energy efficiency standards above Building Regulations’. Thus the current legal and policy framework allows Neighbourhood and Local Plans to set policies that require enhanced energy efficiency. While the Local Plan states that “buildings are expected to achieve high standards of environmental performance”, in this neighbourhood plan the standard is set more explicitly.
Following the above rationale, and drawing from the success of other local plans across the country, Policy CC2 calls for the energy performance of new development to revert to the improved level that was being called for in the draft Local Plan in March 2012. At that time the policy was dropped in the mistaken belief that the Local Plan could not call for improved standards. It has since been made clear that plans can call for an improvement, and Policy CC2 is intended to revert to the target previously proposed. The improvement now being called for is a 19% improvement above the target emission rate of Building Regulations Part L 2013 for dwellings, and this is generally considered to be equivalent to the Code for Sustainable Homes Level 4 that was being called for back in March 2012.
The energy performance of non-residential development has not been subject to the same misunderstanding, and BREEAM ‘excellent’ is being called for.
Policy CC2 Energy and Carbon Emissions
New development should aim to meet a high level of energy efficiency where achievable, by:
The previous discussion about the energy efficiency of development, and which is summarised in Policy CC2, calls for an improvement based on Building Regulations, and thus is termed the regulated energy. It could be thought of as the intrinsic energy performance of the building, a consequence of the design and materials used. However, new developments will also result in energy use during their lifetime which is not covered by Building Regulations and is thus referred to as unregulated energy. To reduce the carbon impact of this unregulated energy consumption, a proportion of it is to be offset by renewable energy generated locally. This forms the basis of Policy CC3.
Policy CC3 Energy Generation to Offset Predicted Carbon Emissions
New development, both commercial and residential is encouraged, where possible, to secure at least 10% of its total unregulated energy from decentralised and renewable or low carbon sources.
During the preparation of this Plan individuals have stated that they wish to make a personal contribution to addressing climate change through lifestyles choices. As they progress through the hierarchy of ‘use less, use efficiently, source sustainably’ they find that significant opportunities for the latter are relatively limited, and centre round renewable energy. The excellent level of sunshine enjoyed by the Plan area, and initiatives such as the Bridport Cohousing Group’s decision to go all-electric, and the success of Dorset Community Energy, have been reflected in the support for renewable energy schemes expressed by 89.4% of respondents to the statutory consultation. Policy CC4 captures that support.
Policy CC4 Neighbourhood Renewable Energy Schemes
Proposals for individual and community scale renewable energy will be supported subject to the considerations outlined in national policy and guidance.
The climate is evolving rapidly, as is our understanding of the changing pattern of rainfall and the probable impacts of climate change. Nevertheless there is a possibility that the flood risk guidance available to developers will be overtaken by the pace of change. The community would like to be reassured that the flood risk both at the site and downstream will be acceptable for the lifetime of any new development.
All developments, especially those required to submit a flood risk assessment should make every effort to be informed and take account of the most up-to-date predictions of flood risk and the probable impacts of climate change.
This section seeks to address issues of access and movement across the neighbourhood plan area. To tackle traffic congestion, air pollution and accelerate a shift to more sustainable modes of transport.
The policy objectives are to enhance opportunities for non-car travel through better walking, cycling and public transport and thus reduce reliance on the private motor car.
Bridport is a busy, thriving town and is a centre for shopping and services for the surrounding villages and further afield. For many people the car is the principal mode of travel for journeys into town from the surrounding parishes. In the summer months, and especially on market days and for town events, traffic can be particularly heavy leading to major congestion, increased pollution, and extended journey times. Improving public transport and alternatives to the car have been identified through local consultation as a high priority for the area and this aligns with national planning guidance and the strategic priorities in the local plan.
The preferred policy response is to define a long-term ambition for a more sustainable
transport future for the town centre whilst responding in the short to medium term to the current challenges of a primarily car-based transport system. The long-term aspiration is to make it easier to walk, cycle and use public transport in and
around the neighbourhood plan area, with the aim of reducing reliance on the car.
Bridport is a market town serving a large rural hinterland. For many people the car is the principal mode of travel for journeys into the town from the surrounding parishes. While there is a trend for transport to move away from fossil fuels, any new generation of cars will still cause congestion, continue to present a hazard to other road users and will require parking when not in use.
The neighbourhood plan aims to support a transition to more sustainable access and movement patterns and enhance people’s experience of the town centre. Improving air quality along with enhancing opportunities to use streets for social, cultural and commercial activities are important considerations.
To achieve this aim it is necessary to understand how people access the centre of town today, and how they might do so differently in the future. This will require a comprehensive study of local-transport and land-use within the neighbourhood plan area, to guide proposals for investment in footways, cycle paths and highways, and in the planning of public transport (see project 11, page 89). Particular attention will be given to the needs of those who are particularly disadvantaged by present arrangements, such as the young, elderly and the less mobile.
Policy AM1 Promotion of Active Travel Modes
Proposals for new development which are likely to generate increased pedestrian and/or vehicular traffic movement should:
Policy AM2 Managing Vehicular Traffic
Proposals for new development which are likely to generate increased vehicular movement should:
Policy AM3 Footpath & Cyclepath Network
Support will be given to proposals that improve and extend the existing footpath and cyclepath network, allowing greater access to new housing, the town and village centres, green spaces and the open countryside. The loss of existing footpaths and cycle paths will be resisted
See: Footpath and cycle network improvement plan; https://www.bridport-tc.gov.uk/bridport-area-neighbourhood-plan-evidence/
Surveys and community consultations have highlighted that in the absence of extensive public transport, access to into the centre of Bridport and around the neighbourhood plan area by car is the only choice many people have. Places to park cars, in or close to, the town centre and community facilities are therefore very important.
Improvements in air quality, associated with reducing pollutants, are also of paramount importance. This can be achieved by reducing the presence of motor vehicles, particularly in the town centre. It is an aim of this neighbourhood plan to encourage reduced access to the town centre by private motor vehicles to improve the quality of life for residents.
owever policy makers need to understand how people currently access the town centre, and how they might do so differently over the coming decades. This will require a comprehensive study of land-use and transport within the neighbourhood plan area (see Project 11, page 89). Once completed this study will inform reviews of the neighbourhood plan and guide proposals for investment in footways, cycle paths and highway improvements.
Policy AM4 Car Parking Strategy
Proposals for the redevelopment of public car park sites in the neighbourhood plan area should be informed by a comprehensive Transport Assessment. A broadly equivalent amount of public car parking should be provided within walking distance of the existing car park, unless it can be demonstrated that the level of car parking is no longer required due to the provision of alternative modes of transport/access.
Surveys and community consultations shows that public transport provision from the parishes into the town centre has been in decline for some years, particularly recently with declining subsidies, and public transport for out of town journeys is currently too infrequent or too expensive to provide a viable alternative to the car for many people.
The bus station in Bridport has seen a decline in use by local bus companies and a lack of investment in its maintenance. The site is well used by visiting coaches however due to the suitability of the coach bay parking and easy access to the toilets and centre of Bridport. There is a concern that without a re-focus on the use of the site, its further decline will threaten the future of the site.
The West Dorset, Weymouth and Portland Local Plan refers to the opportunity to create
a community-based transport hub at the bus station and there is a local wish to see the site being brought back into full use as the main transit area and terminus for commercial buses and taxis and becoming a safe and secure site for the storage of bicycles. This would lead to greater use and viability of the site and will create a safer and more welcoming feel to the area for visitors on arrival to the town. It would also support the national, local and neighbourhood area policy of supporting sustainable transport options by providing a suitable facility.
Development proposals for the Bus Station site that do not accord with this policy will not be supported
Policy AM5 Connections to Sustainable Transport
Development proposals should, where achievable, include provisions to enable access to public and community transport and provide easy connections to the social, community and retail facilities of the neighbourhood plan area.
Policy AM6 Transport Hub Proposal
Any proposals for the redevelopment of Bridport Bus Station (see Map 3) and the land immediately around should retain and enhance its primary use as a transport hub and
Map 3 – Bus Station Site
< Previous | ^ Top | Next >