Climate Change at the Heart of the Planning System?
With CBA support, the Planning and Climate Change Coalition launched its campaign in Parliament today to put climate change at the heart of the planning system in England.
A cross-sector coalition of organisations – including leading planners and countryside and environmental organisations - has drawn up draft planning guidance which would transform the system’s ability to meet the challenge of tackling climate change. The draft guidance, unveiled to MPs at a launch in Westminster today, was addressed by Housing and Planning Minister John Healey MP.
The coalition, which has been brought together by Friends of the Earth and the Town and Country Planning Association (TCPA), makes detailed suggestions for improving the planning process to ensure that it plays its part in reducing carbon emissions and meeting the targets set out in the Climate Change Act. The CBA supports the coalition’s goals and believes that the historic environment has a key role to play in sustainable development.
CBA Head of Conservation Dr Gill Chitty said:
The scale of action required is unparalleled globally but it is at the local level that the effects of climate change are really felt. Local planning has a central role in leading adaptation for greater resilience and integrating this with action to reduce damaging emissions. A sound evidence base and good-quality technical advice needs to be widely available on how utilising the historic environment can contribute to combatting climate change in the round. There are dangers in focusing solely on energy targets without planning for long-term sustainable solutions which bring together all the ways in which we need to adapt.
The CBA considers climate change to be a serious threat to the historic environment. To follow recent developments on this issue, visit our Current Issues section.
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