Energy and Sustainability Support for Planning Department

Lambeth are seeking to appoint a consultancy to provide support primarily to its Development Management department to enable it to deliver against its current planning policies and service delivery targets. The support will comprise of assessment of energy and sustainability submissions that accompany relevant planning applications (excluding applications which are subject to Planning Performance Agreements) and condition/s106 discharge applications. Following assessment, the Council will require you to advise on the degree of compliance with current planning policy requirements, on potential amendments that would further improve the performance of the developments and on suggested conditions that would ensure the delivery of the highest standards of sustainable design and construction and subsequent operation. A timely response to all consultations will be expected to enable the Council to deliver against its statutory planning application performance targets – 8 weeks for minor and other applications and 13 weeks for major applications.

Given the recent changes in Government policy, Lambeth is also seeking some additional one-off support for its Planning Policy Team. This support would be in the form of a policy statement setting out the following: Overview of national picture and likely future direction on sustainability and energy matters (including applicable White Papers and current and future position on zero carbon for domestic and non-domestic developments and renewable energy, what part of energy provision falls under Building Regulations and what falls under planning regulations) and how this affects planning at regional and local level; Overview of regional picture and likely future direction on sustainability of energy matters (i.e. how is the London Plan likely to change as result of national changes); the approach to be taken following the removal of the intended Zero Carbon Homes/Allowable Solutions policies; compliance with the Building Regulations/London Plan going forwards; current and future ability to collect carbon off-set funds; the tools and techniques that are still available to promote sustainable housing-led developments; planning conditions in relation to energy/sustainability; following the removal of the Code for Sustainable Homes and implementation of the new Local Plan (2015); and the Home Quality Mark (the voluntary scheme introduced by the Building Research Establishment to act as a replacement for the Code for Sustainable Homes) – including if possible an indication of take-up of this voluntary tool – how many other councils are using it?