Gaining Approval and Meeting the Standards

1. Gaining Approval and Meeting the Standards Horsham District Council Sussex Building Control WPL Ltd

2. Welcome & Introduction Ray Lee Director of Development & Environment Horsham District Council

3. The Council’s perspective on sustainability Robert Nye Cabinet Member for Environment and Sustainability Horsham District Council

4. How to get the planners to say …… Ray Wright Head of Development Horsham District Council

5. Ray WrightHead Of Development • ‘How to get planners to say…..’

6. PLANNING POLICY BACKGROUND • 1987 – World Commission on Environment and • Development • 1992 – Local Agenda 21 • 1997 – World Climate Conference – Kyoto • 2000 – The Nottingham Convention • 2003 – Energy White Paper – the ‘60% target’ . • 2003 – The London Borough of Merton adopted its • UDP Policy. • - The ‘Merton Rule’ • - By 2006 120 Authorities were operating • ‘Merton Rule’ policies.

7. PRESENT POLICY FRAMEWORK • 2004 – PPS 22 ‘Renewable Energy’ • 2007 – PPS 1 ‘ Planning and Climate Change’ – Supplement • 30 April 2009 ?? – The South East Plan • Local Development Frameworks

8. HORSHAM POLICY • LDF Core Strategy Policy CP 2 ‘Environmental Quality’ • LDF General Development Control Policies Policy DC8 ‘Renewable Energy and Climate Change.’ • This states :- • a) Planning permission will only be granted for proposals which ensure that : • - measures are incorporated that reduce the impact on climate change;and • - wherever possible and certainly for any development of 10 or more dwellings and other forms of major development, sufficient on-site renewable energy equipment or other design measures are provided to achieve at least a 10% • reduction in the scheme’s predicted carbon dioxide emissions.

9. HORSHAM POLICY • b) The Council will permit schemes for renewable energy ( eg solar, biomass, and energy crops, landfill gas and hydroelectricity ), where they do not have a • significant adverse effect on landscape character, wildlife, areas of historical significance or amenity value.’ • Renewables versus Sustainable Design and Construction.

10. APPLICATION PROCESS • Pre Application – examine policy and consider potential at the outset. • Application – details in ‘energy statement’ or ‘design and access statement.’ • Processing – ensure case officer is satisfied with the details. • Committee – divergent member views • Decision – conditions should be expected if permission is granted. • - many authorities will specifically refuse permission • if ‘renewables’ not addressed.

11. EXAMPLES OF CONDITIONS – renewables • London Borough of Merton • No works in relation to the proposed development shall commence on site pursuant to the planning permission until details of a renewable energy generation system for the proposed….development which provides at least 10% of the predicted energy requirements have been submitted and approved by the local planning authority and suitably and operational to the satisfaction of the local planning authority prior to the occupation of the accommodation. • London Borough of Enfield • The development shall be carried out in accordance with the measures identified in the sustainability assessment form submitted on … ( and amendments received..) . Before the development is first occupied, the developer shall submit to the LPA a statement confirming that the development hereby approved has been so carried out.

12. EXAMPLES OF CONDITIONS – renewables • Woking Borough Council • Prior to the commencement of any development, details of predicted energy use of the development and the generation of on- site renewable energy shall be submitted and approved by the Local Planning Authority. These details will demonstrate how energy efficiency is being addressed, including bench mark data, and show the on-site measures to be taken to produce a minimum of 10 per cent of the total energy requirements of the new development by means of renewable energy sources. Such details as may be approved shall be implemented and retained in perpetuity.

13. INSPECTORS CONDITION – code for sustainable homes. • No development shall take place until an initial design stage assessment by an accredited assessor for the Code for Sustainable Homes has been carried out and an interim certificate has been submitted to and approved in writing by the local planning authority stating that each dwelling has been designed to achieve a minimum of Level 3 of the Code (or an equivalent level of performance if an alternative independently assessed means of sustainability assessment is used). No dwelling shall be occupied until a final certificate stating that the dwelling complies with a minimum of Level 3 of the code has been submitted to the local planning authority.

14. FROM NOW ON • More LDF’s with ‘Merton Rule’ policies • More of those policies will be prescriptive and ‘require’ rather than ‘encourage’ • The level at which the policy operates will reduce • For the next speaker but The Code for Sustainable Homes requirements ( level 3 -2010, level 4 - 2013, and level 6 - 2016 ), are increasing, with level 5 requirements meaning that on site renewables are essential

15. Working with the Code for Sustainable Homes Stephen Shorrocks Acting Head of Building Control Sussex Building Control

16. Obtaining a rating • Design Stage • Early involvement • Interim certificate • Planning / Funding • Monitoring • Post Construction Stage • What has been achieved • Final Certificate • Following QA process

17. Code Levels

18. Category weightings

19. Mandatory elements • Mat 1 – Environmental Impact of Materials • Sur 1 – Surface Water Run-off • Was 1 – Household Waste Storage • Was 2 – Site Waste Management • Ene 1 – Dwelling Emission Rate • Wat 1 – Internal Water Use

20. Key areas – changes during construction • Insulation materials / construction method • Ene 1 – SAP calculations • Mat 1 – Green Guide rating • Pol 1 – GWP of insulants • Bathroom fittings • Wat 1 – Internal water use • Robust details • Hea 2 – Sound insulation

21. Specialist advice required • SAP assessor – Ene 1, Ene 2, Ene 7 • LZC energy specialist – feasibility study Ene 7 • Quantity Surveyor – Mat 2, Mat 3 • Drainage engineer – Sur 1, Sur 2 • Daylight calculations – Hea 1 • Crime Prevention Design Advisor – Man 4 • Ecologist – Eco 1 - 4

22. Practical example – Level 1 • Energy efficiency – 10% improvement over building regulations • Water use – max 120 litres / person / day • Other minimum requirements • Further 33.3 points required

23. Practical example – Level 3 • Energy efficiency – 25% improvement over building regulations • Water use – max 105 litres / person / day • Other minimum requirements • Further 46.7 points required

24. Conclusions • Some areas effective, others out of balance in importance • Radical change for water consumption • Benefits ecologically sensitive design • Culture changing • Promoting innovation

25. Tea & Coffee Break Resume at 11.40

26. Welcome Back David Starr Principal BCO Sussex Building Control

27. Climate change and Building Control What does it have to do with us? David Starr

28. What do we have to say? • Introduction. The position in which we find ourselves. • The story so far. How the regulations have changed over the recent years. • What we have seen. The way SAP, energy calculations, drainage and permeability design have been used. • Better by design. Improvement on good design.

29. Introduction • Changing emphasis, requirements and concerns. • Horsham district council Climate change working group. • Getting advice.

30. The Times January 29, 2009 Scepticism grows over the viability of green projects Robin Pagnamenta, Energy and Environment Editor Speaking on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum, Lord Turner, chairman of the Financial Services Authority (FSA) and of the Government’s Committee on Climate Change, said that the study was a response to mounting scepticism over the Government’s plans for a huge expansion of wind and tidal power. The Times March 26, 2009 When oil, coal and gas are cheap, who is going to throw their cash into the wind? Robin Pagnamenta, Energy and Environment Editor The credit crunch has undermined developers’ ability to borrow to fund big wind and solar power schemes, while tumbling prices for conventional fuels like oil, coal and gas have undermined the economics of the renewables industry. “Are we able to worry about more than one concern at a time”. Introduction

31. Can or does the country continue to think about the environment and environmental issues while the immediate economic situation looms large. The Guardian, Thursday 12 February 2009 Britain should prepare for massive loss of landmass, warn engineers UK should change building design, transport and energy infrastructure ahead of climate change and high sea levels Terry Macalister The climate change movement must be inclusive The climate change movement must broaden its social base from the white middle-classes to include the poor and ethnic minorities if it is to be successful in protecting the environment For weeks now the world has been mesmerised by the "credit crunch". But the biggest single long-term threat to all our futures remains the issue of climate change.

32. Man’s effect or natural fluctuations. • Temperatures set to rise. • Climate change is casting its influence over the construction industry.

33. Sea level changes • Weather conditions

34. What does this have to do with the building regulations.

35. The story so far. • Building Regulations. Health and safety in use. 1985 regulations – conservation of fuel and power. by 1995

36. In 2002 changes add a requirement for information on boilers and there operation. (d) providing sufficient information with the heating and hot water services so that building occupiers can operate and maintain the services in such a manner as to use no more energy than is reasonable in the circumstances. Also at this stage control of replacement services and fittings was included.

37. 2006 edition the options were limited, removing the elemental approach. CO2 became the prime measure.

38. Checklist for dwellings. 5 Criteria. As built information.

39. Other parts of the regulations. • Approved document F. Guidance notice-air permeability • Approved document H. Section H3-surface water disposal

42. Changes to come Approved document G – Use of water. Approved document L – changes to align more closely with the code for sustainably homes. Approved document F – ventilation details. Approved document C – flood resilience.

43. What have we seen so far. • I have a ‘Green design’ because I met the requirements of the building regulations. • SAP calculations added at the end, not used as part of the design tools. • Adjustment of the design to just meet the minimum requirement. • Use of loopholes to justify design. • Removal of elements of the design.

44. The use of high permeability figures in the DER/TER design.

45. Better by design. • By linking the building regulations with the code for sustainable homes, using other guidance and manufactures design information, sustainable elements can be built in to your buildings that satisfies your clients needs the site limitations and the regulatory requirements. • Future proofing.

46. Better by design. • Orientation • Natural and designed shading. • Rainwater harvesting. • Gray water capture. • Foundation design. • Flood protection. • Whole life design.

47. How you can use the regulations. • The regulations are not must does, they contain options. • Remember that they are only the minimum standard to be achieved. • Read the guidance notes the help to link the approved documents together.

48. In conclusion • Government response to Climate change is putting pressure on the construction industry. • Changing emphasis of the building regulations. • Site specific design can help meet the regulations and code requirements. • Use the code as part of your design tools. • Adaptation and whole life design.

49. Other sources of information. • Climate change www.realclimate.org.uk www.metoffice.org.uk • Energy efficiency www.energysavingstrust.org.uk www.warmfrongrants.co.uk

50. Renewable energy www.nef.org.uk www.lowcarbonbuildingsprogramme.org.uk • Water use www.environment-agency.org.uk www.waterwise.org.uk