Environmental improvements through planning
- We will use policies like the Local Plan to promote more sustainable development. This could involve decisions around land use, urban design, transport, promoting physical activity and active transport and the energy efficiency of development. It could also involve identifying measures to adapt to the effects of climate change such as flooding. We will introduce the requirement for ‘net gain’ in biodiversity in new development and explore options for ensuring that new development should comply with the UN Sustainability Targets and the Anthesis targets.
- Trees provide a natural and cost-effective solution to capture and absorb carbon dioxide emissions. Through organisations such as the Mersey Forest and other community groups we will continue to support schemes that accelerate the pace of tree planting across the borough, at the same time making it more attractive, encouraging people to engage with the great outdoors and helping flora and fauna to thrive.
- We will take a lead in carbon reduction by ensuring that the energy efficiency of the Council’s own industrial and commercial assets improves in order to support the delivery of the Council’s own 2030 carbon neutrality target.
- We will work with partners to enhance flood risk alleviation through the planning process by prioritising sustainable solutions such as SUDs and natural flood plains through the planning policy framework and the use of Supplementary Planning Documents.
- We will review policy options for our planning enforcement team to ensure that planning conditions that promote environmental improvements are discharged by developers and, wherever possible, and contribute towards us fulfilling our climate and nature objectives.
