Climate Change

4.1. The big themes of the emerging Local Plan are an excellent way to progress the underpinning principles for growth in Greater Cambridge. Care needs to be used in prioritising each of these themes. A balanced approach should be used. Each policy of the new Local Plan, and each potential site for employment or housing (or both), will have different impacts that are nuanced depending on proposals and site locations. The Sustainability Appraisal is the key to understanding relative impacts on the four big themes, and we have commented separately on that in Section 5 of our representation. However, it is clear that the location and design of development will play a key part in achieving key principles of sustainability, including minimising operational carbon emissions and the effects of movements, which relate to climate change, wellbeing, social inclusion and place making.
4.2. A number of the issues raised in relation to reducing impacts on the climate are applicable to all policies and developments. The preparation of the Local Plan should therefore focus on those issues that have the most impact on the decision-making for the Local Plan, including:
 setting policies to reduce operational carbon emissions from new development;
 assessing whole life carbon emissions to account for a balanced approach to embodied and operational emissions for new buildings;
 promoting patterns of development that reduce the need to travel; and
 locating development where a choice of travel options exist other than the private car.
4.3. We would also add: -
 encouraging transport choices that have less impact on the climate, such as walking, cycling and public transport;
 promoting self-containment and sustainable settlements, where public transport can easily be supported and a wide range of facilities and services are within walking and cycling distance;
 allocating development where public transport infrastructure already exists, is planned, or can be provided, to encourage sustainable travel.
4.4. A key requirement for reaching net zero carbon targets is the minimisation of vehicular movements (with transport making the largest contribution, and responsible for 34% of emissions in South Cambridgeshire). The plan should therefore favour options that are capable of providing alternatives to private car use. Public transport is not only more efficient, it reduces traffic queues (and therefore impacts positively on productivity), it is better for health and wellbeing , and is socially inclusive as it allows equal mobility for those without access to a car (and for those who do not wish to own a car).
4.5. There are two key factors that can assist in reducing car travel and increasing public transport:
 placing jobs, leisure facilities and shopping in close proximity to housing, thereby reducing the need to travel and increasing ‘self-containment’;
 and providing new development in locations that provide alternatives to the private car – in particular good public transport services.
4.6. A further requirement to reduce the risk of climate change impacts is to minimise the energy used to construct and operate new development, with over 40% of UK emissions arising from built property. Whilst the costs of achieving more sustainable buildings will be similar regardless of the location of development, there will be greater opportunity for carbon reduction to be achieved where development is at sufficient scale to provide an integrated and holistic approach to climate change mitigation and adaptation.
4.7. The Climate Change Topic Paper sets out a number of emerging policies aimed at reducing carbon emissions from new buildings, and ensure that suitable adaptation measures are incorporated into proposals to futureproof development against a changing climate.