The new Interim Planning Statement (IPS) on Sustainable Design and Construction is designed to help achieve the Council's objectives for Sustainable Development, as set out in policy GP4a of the City of York Draft Local Plan, incorporating the 4th Set of Changes (April 2005).

Sustainable development can be defined as "development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of the future generations to meet their own needs" (The Bruntland Commission, 1982). 

It is the Council's objective to achieve development that has a low or positive environmental impact whilst maximising social, economic and environmental gains. This means encouraging positive and long term thinking when making decisions and taking account occount of costs and benefits, including those which cannot easily be valued in monetary terms.

What is the Sustainable Design and Construction Interim Planning Statement?

This Interim Planning Statement (IPS) supports and supplements policy GP4a of the City of York Development Control Local Plan (2005). It provides guidance to applicants as to what is expected from them. This IPS sets standards for the provision of sustainable development in all types of residential and commercial development including domestic extensions.

Page 8 of the statement provides a diagram of how to use the IPS.

A copy of the Sustainable Design and Construction Interim Planning Statement can be downloaded from the right hand side of this page.

Consultation

Consultation on the Draft Interim Planning Statement ran between the 5th February 2007 and the 4th May 2007. Officers have considered the responses and incorporated the necessary changes into the document. The IPS went back to planning committee on the 22nd November 2007 and was agreed by Members for Development Control purposes.

Useful links

BREEAM
The BREEAM family of assessment methods and tools are all designed to help construction professionals understand and mitigate the environmental impacts of the developments they design and build.

The Building Research Establishment (BRE)
The BRE Group is a world leading research, consultancy, training, testing and certification organisation delivering sustainability and innovation across the built environment and beyond. BRE are the publishers of the BREEAM assessment methods to which building design should adhere.