Sustainable Development Resources
A robust definition of Sustainable Development is critical to ensure that all development policies, plans and decisions must:
- Balance the need for economic growth with other aspects of ‘the public interest’, assessing the impact on economic, social, and environmental attributes equally
- Recognise natural capital as foundational to long-term prosperity
- Prioritise sufficiency over expansion: retrofit, reuse, redistribute before building new.
We set out our definition below which could be incorporated into planning legislation.
Whilst the National Planning Policy Framework recognises the Brundtland definition of sustainable development incorporates the following wording “At a very high level, the objective of sustainable development can be summarised as meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs”, this is not currently a material consideration in planning and, as a consequence, unsustainable development will continue to be approved
CPA Definition of Sustainable Development:
It is expected that all stakeholders will seek to maximise sustainable development and that substantial weight will be given to its delivery. All plans and decisions relating to development must, therefore:
- Pass a rigorous, detailed and transparent sustainability test, covering carbon emissions, biodiversity, natural capital, flood risk and social equity, ensuring that development will not place a higher burden of risk on citizens (an appropriate buffer should be established to separate residential homes from hazardous businesses, for example).
- Prioritise sufficiency above growth (LPAs must demonstrate that they have adopted a ‘sufficiency’ approach: retrofit first, redistribute second, expand only where truly needed)
- Follow a mandatory Brownfield First Policy for the development of buildings or roads
– enforcing a sequential test that prioritises brownfield land, empty homes, and unbuilt permissions before greenfield release - Undertake comprehensive and transparent Natural Capital Accounting – ensuring developments demonstrate net gains in natural capital, not just biodiversity
- Demonstrate integrated infrastructure planning and delivery – coordinating housing, transport, energy, and water infrastructure to avoid piecemeal sprawl and ensure approval will not result in significant additional costs to the public purse (such as addressing the cost of mental and physical healthcare needs due to increased air, noise, light, vibration, dust and water pollution).
If the above criteria are not met, any subsequent approval of unsustainable development must be determined as wholly exceptional circumstances, which must be acknowledged and reported on an annual basis. Any such deviation from genuinely sustainable development must only be agreed with community input and transparent trade-offs.
Unsustainable Development Must Be Acknowledged
The number of groups on our map confirms that inappropriate development in our communities is rising and that growth is not meeting the Community Planning Alliance (CPA) definition of sustainable development.
NPPF Lacking Definition of Sustainable Development
Planning Inspectorate appeal decision - courtesy of Trafford Council
Do you have or know of any resources that should be included in this library? If so, please contact us today!