Proposed Submission: Gravesham Local Plan Core Strategy

• Have a positive strategy to promote energy from renewable and lowcarbon sources;• Design their policies to maximise renewable and low carbon energydevelopment while ensuring that adverse impacts are addressedsatisfactorily;• Consider identifying suitable areas for renewable and low carbonenergy sources; and• Identify opportunities where development can draw its energy supplyfrom decentralised, renewable or low carbon energy supply systemsand for co-locating potential heat customers and suppliers.5.14.21 The Code for Sustainable Homes is the national standard for thesustainable design and construction of new homes. It aims to reduce carbonemissions and is intended to help promote higher standards of sustainabledesign above current Building Regulations minima. It uses a one to six starrating system, with six being the most sustainable. The Code is not mandatoryand there is no plan to make it mandatory but it can be required where localauthorities stipulate a requirement in their Local Plans.5.14.22 BREEAM sets the standard for best practice in sustainable buildingdesign, construction and operation. It is more commonly used for assessingnon-domestic buildings.5.14.23 The Government is moving towards introducing zero carbonstandards from 2016 for all new homes and from 2019 for all new nondomesticbuildings. Zero carbon will be achieved through: fabric energyefficiency which will require that new homes are sufficiently well insulated andadequately air tight; carbon compliance (the overall on-site contribution tozero carbon) which includes on-site low and zero carbon heat and power, e.g.solar panel electricity systems; and allowable solutions which are methods todeal with the remaining emissions to meet zero carbon standards, e.g.investment in off-site renewable electricity. The zero carbon standards will beimplemented through changes to the Building Regulations and the regulatoryframework is still being developed, so local standards are not proposed.181