Developer Contributions Supplementary Planning Document
(3) 6 DESIGN
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Local Plan Policies |
Other relevant Strategies & Guidance |
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*Forthcoming
6.1 Policy context
6.1.1 National policy recognises that good design is a key aspect of sustainable development[21]. The Local Plan contains policies focused on ensuring that design responds positively to local context and that suitable mitigation measures can be delivered through the planning process.
6.2 Design
6.2.1 The general design requirements of the Plan will normally be met through consideration of detailed Plan and, where appropriate, the use of planning conditions. However, there may be some instances where contributions are sought towards schemes which delivery upon the design aspirations of the Plan (see, for example, Section 3.4 on public realm).
6.3 Sustainable construction methods
6.3.1 Local Plan Policy D1 Sustainable design outlines that development proposals are required to consider the potential to minimise the impact on the environment during both construction and throughout the lifetime of the development. The Council may require planning conditions and/or legal agreements to achieve this.
6.4 Protecting living conditions
6.4.1 Policy D3 seeks to secure protection against potential statutory nuisances and other impacts which may adversely impact upon living conditions.
6.4.2 There may be requirement for reciprocal measures to be secured from proposed development in adjoining authorities under the arrangements set out in Section 1.8. This may include, but is not necessarily limited to, any future schemes at London Luton Airport.
6.5 Air quality monitoring
6.5.1 Legal agreements may be used to ensure that there are appropriate levels of mitigation to minimise development impacts in line with Local Plan Policy D4 Air quality. This is particularly relevant where development proposals are likely to create additional road traffic.
6.5.2 Policy D4 sets out the circumstances in which an air quality impact assessment will be required. Methods to reduce emissions may include: design of development, encouraging the use of public transport and car sharing, promoting low emission vehicle use, road and traffic management schemes as well as appropriate parking standards. These methods may be secured at planning application stage via planning conditions and/ or legal agreement.
6.5.3 Where air quality impact assessments are required and where those assessments predict that an adverse impact on local air quality will occur there will be a requirement for the Defra 'air pollution damage costs' approach to be applied. This air pollution economic analysis damage costs approach is founded upon the application of Defra's Emission Factor Toolkit and Central Government's Interdepartmental Group on Costs and Benefits (IGCB) guidance. Further information can be found in the NHDC Air Quality Planning Guidance Document and at www.gov.uk/guidance/air-quality-economic -analysis.
6.5.4 The financial contributions calculated by the 'air pollution damage costs' approach will need to be targeted to air pollution mitigation measures that are relevant to the development in question and of specific benefit to the local areas that have been identified as being adversely impacted by that development.
6.5.5 Identified measures or contributions will be secured by condition or legal agreement as appropriate in each instance.
6.6 Waste collection and recycling
6.6.1 A waste collection and recycling programme for North Hertfordshire is contained within the Hertfordshire Joint Municipal Waste Management Strategy 2007[22].This has been modified since it was published and in September 2005 the Council agreed a programme that would ensure additional kerbside recycling facilities for all properties by September 2007.
6.6.2 Properties with no immediate access to the rear, together with flats may have no obvious means for storage of waste and recycling containers. This results in containers being permanently left in front gardens or by the roadside. Therefore, development schemes will be required to ensure appropriate arrangement for the storage of waste collection and recycling containers at the outset. This may be through communal shelters. This is to ensure conformity with Local Plan Policy D1 Sustainable design to reduce waste and consider the visual impacts of a development.
6.6.3 The revenue costs of waste collection are covered through Council Tax. However, in the case of large-scale residential development, implementation costs may be required to cover the purchase of additional vehicles and setting up new or extended rounds. Contributions towards the provision of recycling banks and land to accommodate these will also be required for large development schemes.
6.6.4 Under the Environmental Protection Act 1990, Hertfordshire County Council is required to perform the statutory functions of the Waste Disposal Authority (WDA) for Hertfordshire. The WDA is also required to provide facilities in its area where residents may deposit their own household waste free of charge. In Hertfordshire, these facilities are known as Hertfordshire Waste Recycling Centres (HWRCs).
6.6.5 As WDA, Hertfordshire County Council is responsible for the disposal of Local Authority Collected Waste (LACW) arising in the county. LACW consists of household waste and commercial waste collected by the ten Borough and District Councils in their role as the Waste Collection Authorities (WCA's) for Hertfordshire and waste collected at the county's HWRCs.
6.6.6 To support this disposal function, the County Council manages a network of 17 Household Waste Recycling Centres (HWRC). An increase in population within Hertfordshire as a result of new residential development is likely to require increased investment in waste disposal infrastructure.
6.6.7 The impact of additional dwellings on waste management infrastructure will vary depending on the size of the development and its location. Therefore it may be necessary to develop new infrastructure or improve existing infrastructure. For example, should an existing HWRC be identified as having insufficient capacity to accommodate increased usage due to additional dwellings, financial contributions will be identified towards increasing the capacity of the local service provision. This may be achieved through improvements to existing facilities or the development of a new HWRC.
[21] NPPF Paragraph 124
[22] Hertfordshire Joint Municipal Waste Management Strategy 2007