Resources

“One of the most pressing issues facing the region is the need to become much more efficient in the way we use resources, reducing waste and managing waste in a sustainable way. We need to dramatically turn around current patterns of management and start to minimise the amount of waste sent to landfill through diversion to other methods including re-use, recycling and composting, and using waste in energy generation.” Draft South East Plan Part 1: Core Regional Policies – July 2005 Section D Para 2.11

“The South East’s waste included approximately 4.1 million tonnes of municipal solid waste (collected by local authorities), of which almost 80% was landfilled and only 19% was recycled; approximately 13 million tonnes of construction and demolition waste, only a third of which was recycled as aggregates or soil. The total waste managed in the South East is estimated to rise to nearly 35 million tonnes by the year 2025.” Regional Planning Guidance for the South East (RPG9) – Waste and Minerals Para 1.4

Waste is a major issue everywhere, but a particular problem in the South East. Disposal and treatment of waste – even for recycling – presents several issues:

• Requires storage whilst awaiting removal;
• Needs transport to treatment or disposal facilities;
• Takes up land for disposal or treatment facilities, and has the potential to cause pollution;
• Requires energy for disposal or recycling (although recycling still uses less energy than is used in producing pristine materials);
• Loses resources which could be usefully re-used – materials that are currently perceived as waste can also be a resource with value.

A sustainable resource management approach will help to minimise the contribution that both constructing and occupying a new development of any size makes to the problem. This is done by designing the development to use materials efficiently, specifying materials which are reclaimed or recycled wherever possible, managing the construction process to minimise waste produced, and ensuring that waste produced during the build process or by building occupiers can be separated into different types (“waste streams”) and collected for re-use or recycling.

The South East region has a target to recycle or compost 50% of all waste by 2010 (and 50% of construction and demolition waste), rising to 65% of all waste by 2025 (60% of construction and demolition waste). (See RPG 9 Policy W6)

“Sustainable construction can be defined as creating or renewing buildings so that they reduce or avoid adverse impacts on the built and natural environment, in terms of the buildings themselves, their immediate surroundings and the broader regional and global setting. ” Draft South East Plan Part 1: Core Regional Policies – July 2005 Section D1 Para 1.8

Materials used in the construction of buildings, the public realm and infrastructure have environmental impacts, ranging from energy used to create them, impact on human health and biodiversity, substances released to the environment during use, and pollution when finally disposed of. Specification of materials with lower environmental impacts can greatly reduce the environmental and health impacts of developments, for example it is known that solvents in paints, adhesives, insulation and varnishes can trigger asthma.

Timber has been the subject of high profile research and campaigns, and certification schemes now exist to ensure that timber has been taken from responsibly managed forests rather than scarce tropical forests or using environmentally damaging logging methods.

“The historic buildings and landscapes that characterise the region add much to the quality of life that underpins the region’s economy. Both the rural landscape and the historic urban fabric influences investment decisions of individuals and businesses. The historic environment is part of the wider environment of the region that is a ‘draw’ for those investing in the area.” Draft South East Plan Part 1: Core Regional Policies – July 2005 Section D7 Para 8.2

Our surroundings matter. According to English Heritage, historic settings and buildings encourage companies to locate, businesses to invest and tourists to visit, with market values in historic areas being higher than elsewhere. The historic environment is also a very important component of the tourism industry. Consideration and protection or enhancement of the historic environment (both built structures and their settings) is an important feature of a sustainable development proposal. High quality and imaginative design of new buildings and development that relates to the surrounds and history is likely to have a greater value to people in terms of liveability, as well as financial value.

Water resources face increasing demand arising from existing and new development, exacerbated by changes to the climate and rainfall patterns. Ensuring that new development has adequate supply and is water-efficient is therefore a key challenge for the region. This encompasses a twin-track approach of increased demand management and development of new sources of supply, together with the protection of river water quality and groundwater. Draft South East Plan Part 1: Core Regional Policies – July 2005 Section D5 Para 2.2

Promoting improved water efficiency in new development through water-saving fixtures and fittings and behavioural change of inhabitants. Rainwater harvesting and grey-water systems should also be considered. Best practice standards will be expected to be incorporated in new development. Draft South East Plan Part 1: Core Regional Policies – July 2005 Section D5 Para 3.9(i)

The availability and quality of water resources is another key issue faced by the South East of England. Drier weather has meant that at the end of 2005, some reservoirs were less than a third full. Over 70% of the region’s public water supply comes from groundwater and so protection of aquifers from over-abstraction and pollution is of particular importance. In some areas the demand for water is close to exceeding currently available sustainable supply. New developments of all sizes need to play their part in sustainable water management, both reducing the demand for freshwater in new buildings and their surrounds, but also meeting water demand through re-use of rainwater and of greywater (water from personal and clothes washing).

Noise can have a serious effect on the quiet enjoyment of property and places, reducing quality of life. Changes in the economy, including reduction in heavy engineering, have reduced industrial noise impacts over recent decades. Conversely the growth in road, rail and air traffic has markedly increased noise pollution in urban and rural areas. Draft South East Plan Part 1: Core Regional Policies – July 2005 Section D5 Para 10.1

Research carried out for the Department of Health shows a negative link between noise levels and academic performance – as ambient noise levels from outside the classroom increase, performance decreases. DEFRA note that noise affects concentration and task performance, sleep, mental health and stress.

Well-insulated and air-tight buildings help to reduce transmission of external noise, and appropriate layouts and screening within a development further reduce noise levels within buildings.

With these policy issues in mind, this section of the checklist addresses:

• Protecting historic and archaeologically important features and their settings
• Reducing the environmental impact of the materials used in construction of the public realm and infrastructure
• Reducing the development’s demand for fresh water and protecting groundwater and aquifers
• Designing for noise minimisation
• Minimising waste

Note: Energy issues are dealt with in the Climate Change section. Biodiversity is addressed in the Ecology section.

Policy Links

Relevant Integrated Regional Framework Indicators

• 7a: Percentage of people who say that they are satisfied with their local area as a place to live
• 11a: Days when air pollution is moderate or high
• 12a: Emissions of greenhouse gases from energy consumption, transport and land-use and waste management
• 12b: Capacity during “critical periods” to supply water without the need for restrictions
• 16a: Percentage of new build and retrofit homes meeting Ecohomes Very Good standard
• 16b: Proportion of commercial buildings meeting BREEAM very good standard
• 16c: Ecological footprint for the South East
• 18c: Per capita consumption of water

Draft RSS Core Strategies

• CC1: Sustainable Development
• CC2: Climate Change
• CC3: Resource Use
• CC4: Sustainable Construction
• CC5: Infrastructure and Implementation
• NRM1: Sustainable Water Resources, Groundwater and River Quality Management
• NRM2: Sustainable Flood Risk management
• EN1: Development Design for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy
• EN2: Combined Heat and Power
• EN3: Regional Renewable Energy Targets