Claims that sustainable development policy is being ignored

Claims have been made that house builders in Shropshire are still not constructing new developments to the most energy efficient and environmentally friendly standards.

Shropshire Council declared a climate emergency last year, but the authority’s only Green Party councillor Julian Dean said environmental responsibility was not high enough on the agenda when deciding on planning applications.

Councillor Dean said the council was failing to consider an adopted planning policy which sets out the best practice and minimum standards that new developments should adhere to.

Part one of the Sustainable Development Supplementary Planning Document (SPD), focusing on energy, water and waste, was adopted by the council in 2011. Part two, setting standards for design, transport, ecology and recreation and open space, was due to be developed in 2012, but never materialised.

Councillor Dean said he became aware of the policy in his role as chair of Shrewsbury Growing Forward, which was set up in 2018 by the then mayor, Councillor Jane Mackenzie, and the Civic Society to look at development within the town.

He is now calling for the SPD to be properly considered in the determination of future planning applications.

He said: “The council can’t go beyond national guidelines but it can push developers to do something better.

“There is a really good check list in the SPD, and things to ask developers to prompt them to do things better.

“I have asked why we are not using this. It may be that it’s actually not a very effective policy, but the broader point is that we have got at least two more years under existing policy, and we have declared a climate emergency.

“We know developers are completely capable of building homes that are much better in terms of renewable energy and active travel, but they won’t do it unless they are pushed”

Councillor Dean said the second phase of the Weir Hill development, which is currently being considered by council planners, was an example.

He said: “It just became clear that there was really no effort being made to update the plans to be in line with what we need them to be.

“We know we need to think about the orientation of the buildings to maximise natural light for heat, there should be electric vehicle charging, we know sites should be encouraging walking and cycling and use of active transport for health reasons as well as environmental ones.

“The site just doesn’t do these things in the way that it should.

“The reserved matters application looks worse than when it went for outline permission because they have squeezed some more houses in.”

Ian Kilby, Shropshire Council’s planning services manager, said Councillor Dean “raised a valid point”, in that there “has not always been an explicit focus on the SPD in the consideration of planning applications at an early stage”.

He added: “That is not to say that the requirements are not being implemented, and some of these will be undertaken in any event through scheme design, negotiation, or under the building regulations and other regulatory regimes.

“The council is strengthening its position and resource around these issues, and also to the climate change agenda.”

Mr Kilby said a drainage and flood risk manager had been appointed to provide a new focus on these areas, and a climate change task force had been established.

He also highlighted the council’s role in contributing to a new Regional Design Charter for the West Midlands, set to be considered by Cabinet next week, which will be considered in future applications.

On phase two of the Weir Hill development, Mr Kilby said: “This will have been assessed against broad sustainability criteria as part of its consideration as a site allocation in the adopted local plan.

“The reserved matters application currently under consideration has not yet been determined; the applicants have been advised of the SPD, and the council is awaiting a response from the applicants, which will be taken into consideration prior to determination.”