Policy HBE4: Addressing the Performance Gap
Policy HBE4: Addressing the Performance Gap
- Proposals for Passivhaus or equivalent standard buildings with a space heating demand of less than 15KWh/m2/year will be supported. Where schemes maximise their potential to meet this standard, by proposing the use of terraced and/or apartment building forms of plot size, plot coverage and layout that are different to those of the character area within which the proposal is located, this will be supported, provided it can be demonstrated that the scheme will not have a significant harmful effect on the character area.
- All development should be ‘zero carbon ready’ by design to minimise the amount of energy needed to heat and cool buildings through landform, layout, building orientation, massing and landscaping. Consideration should be given to resource efficiency at the outset and whether existing buildings can be re-used as part of the scheme to capture their embodied carbon.
- Proposals for major development should be accompanied by a Whole Life-Cycle Carbon Emission Assessment, using a recognised methodology, to demonstrate actions taken to reduce embodied carbon resulting from the construction and use of the building over its entire life.
- The UK Parliament declared an environment and climate emergency in May 2019 and Broadland District Council recently declared a climate and biodiversity emergency in July 2023. Those who responded to the project’s consultations supported the encouragement of energy efficient homes to the Passivhaus standard.
- There is a growing evidence base to suggest that buildings do not perform as well as anticipated at design stage. Findings demonstrate that actual energy consumption in buildings will usually be twice as much as predicted. Passivhaus certified schemes, or those at an equivalent standard, cannot fail in this way, hence Clause A fully supports this standard. To further incentivise the use of the Passivhaus, or equivalent standard, Clause A of the policy acknowledges there may sometimes be a trade-off between its objectives and local design policy. Although meeting these standards ought not to compromise a scheme fitting in with the character of a local area, on occasions this may be the case. It therefore allows for some degree of flexibility in meeting the Horsford Design Guidance and Code, especially in terms of prevalent building orientation and density. Proposals seeking to apply the Passivhaus Planning Package (PHPP) must also be able to demonstrate that the Passivhaus standard can be achieved. Prior to commencement a ‘preconstruction compliance check’ completed by a Passivhaus Designer accredited by the Passive House Institute (PHI) will be required and secured by condition. Upon completion a Quality Approved Passivhaus certificate for each building will be required prior to occupation, again secured by condition.
- Clause B of the policy requires developers to ensure they address the Government’s climate change targets and energy performance at the very initial stages of design. ‘Zero Carbon Ready’ by design means making spatial decisions on layout and orientation of buildings at the outset to maximise the passive design benefits (‘free heat’) of a site and avoids leaving this to technical choices and assessment at the Building Regulation stage, by which time the opportunity may have been lost. Applicants are directed to the Net-Zero Carbon Toolkit created by Cotswold District Council and two partner councils, West Oxfordshire District Council and Forest of Dean District Council. The toolkit is available as a resource for private and public sector organisations to use and adopt.
- Finally, Clause C of the policy requires major development proposals to be accompanied by a Whole Life-Cycle Carbon Emissions Assessment, RICS Methodology is preferred. The assessment will enable the design team to understand and respond to the lifetime consequence of their design decisions and to design for adaptability, longevity and disassembly, contributing to resource efficiency (as per Clause B of the policy) and the ‘circular economy’. The requirement is expected to be added to the additional supporting documents list of Broadland District Council for applications in Horsford until such a time that there is a district-wide requirement. Every new build or redevelopment project in Horsford provides an opportunity to make a difference and a contribution towards meeting the climate change targets for 2050.