Legislative, policy and planning drivers

Case example: the London Plan 2016

While region specific, the London Plan provides a good example of how the need for adaptation and mitigation strategies has been provided for in planning policy. In terms of climate change adaptation, the plan seeks to ensure future developments meet the highest standards of sustainable design by considering the following at the beginning of the design process:

  • avoid internal overheating and contributing to the urban heat island effect (see below);
  • efficient use of natural resources (including water), including making the most of natural systems both within and around buildings;
  • avoid impacts from natural hazards (including flooding);
  • ensure developments are comfortable and secure for users, including avoiding the creation of adverse local climatic conditions; and
  • promote and protect biodiversity and green infrastructure.

The 'urban heat island effect'

The term urban heat islands refers to metropolitan areas that become notably warmer than their rural counterparts. Heat is produced by various human activities including transportation systems and industry. This is compounded by the fact buildings are often densely packed in urban environments and further are insulated to hold in heat. 

The London Plan contains a host of policies that relate to climate change adaptation and mitigation:

  • Policy 5.1 Climate change mitigation: Target of reducing overall London CO2 emissions to 60% below 1990 levels by 2025.
  • Policy 5.2 Minimising CO2 emissions: Development proposals should minimise CO2 emissions and major developments should include a detailed energy assessment using the energy hierarchy, and meet set reporting requirements. Further to this policy, Standard 35 set out in the Housing SPG as part of policy 5.2 requires all new residential development in London to be ‘zero carbon’ from October 2016. 
  • Policy 5.3 Sustainable design and construction: This policy aims to integrate sustainable design and construction into new developments.
  • Policy 5.5 Decentralised energy networks: Includes a target of 25% of heat and power in London to be generated by decentralised energy systems by 2025.
  • Policy 5.6 Decentralised energy in development proposals: Proposals should evaluate using combined heat and power, and should select energy systems according to the energy hierarchy.
  • Policy 5.7 Renewable energy: reduce CO2 emissions by renewable energy generation on-site where feasible.
  • Policy 5.9 Overheating and cooling: the London Plan expects major development proposals to state how they will reduce potential overheating and reliance on air conditioning systems and demonstrate this in accordance with the recommended cooling hierarchy.
  • Policy 5.10 Urban greening and policy 5.11 Green roofs and development site environs: urban greening is promoted as a means to contribute to the adaptation to, and reduction of, the effects of climate change. 
  • Policy 5.12 Flood risk management and policy 5.13 Sustainable drainage: relevant to flood risk and drainage, the London Plan states that development proposals must comply with flood risk assessments.
  • Policy 5.15 Water use and supplies: minimisation of mains water use and a target residential water consumption of 105 litres per person per day.