Cornwall Council is marking World Town Planning Day by taking the next step in a major climate change-related project.
At the end of September Full Council members voted to progress the Climate Emergency Development Plan Document (DPD), which aims to make sure new buildings contribute to ambitions to be net-carbon neutral by 2030.
One of the key actions in Cornwall’s Climate Change Action Plan, it covers policies to support green energy, enhance the environment, provide more efficient housing, greener travel and resilience to issues such as coastal change and flooding.
As World Town Planning Day is marked around the globe on November 8, the Climate Emergency DPD will head to the Government for inspection.
The Climate Emergency DPD will sit alongside the Cornwall Local Plan and other policies and will be used as part of making decisions on all development proposals.
Cornwall Council declared a climate emergency in 2019 and set out its aims to be net-carbon neutral by 2030.
Olly Monk, the Council’s portfolio holder for planning and housing, said: “It seems fitting that we are sending this document to the Government on World Town Planning Day, as it will become a big part of planning decisions here in Cornwall.
“Our planning policies have a major impact on the way that our places grow and change and should work to protect and shape the Cornwall of the future.”
Martyn Alvey, portfolio holder for environment and climate change, said: “The DPD will ensure that future development is sustainable and helps to address climate change in every aspect of its design and construction, contributing to the Council’s target for Cornwall to reach net-zero by 2030.”
The submission is the culmination of two years of work, which has included several consultations with the public and stakeholders.
Now, the Government will appoint an examiner and the document will undergo examination in public.
During that process, the examiner will call on consultees to speak and there will also be experts in attendance.
The document can be viewed on the Climate Emergency DPD website.
Once the full statutory process is concluded, the Climate Emergency DPD will become an adopted planning document, meaning that proposed future development will be assessed against stronger policies that protect the environment.
Story posted on November 8, 2021
