Climate action through planning

The Sustainability Standards Checklist in Planning is a priority in both the Climate Change Strategy 2021-2025 and the Council’s Local Recovery Plan. It is essential in helping to raise sustainability standards in development and facilitating local climate change action. The aim of the Checklist is to ensure that new and retrofit development is designed for the future, aligning with net zero carbon and resulting in biodiversity net-gain. 

Applicants for major, minor (including householder) and heritage developments are now strongly encouraged to adopt the highest sustainability standards and submit a Sustainability Statement, as part of their planning application, to demonstrate their compliance.

Exemplary sustainability standards cover a range of environmental disciplines, including water use and flood risk; biodiversity; green and active travel (including EV targets); alignment with net-zero carbon; sustainable construction, materials and waste; and voluntary sustainability standards. These sustainability issues must be considered in combination so that co-benefits can be maximised and schemes are as sustainable as possible.

Industry guidance and best practice examples are highlighted in the Checklist and supporting information to provide sustainable approaches that can work in practice and are viable, which can be found on our Sustainability Standard Checklist page.