St Edmundsbury Core Strategy (December 2010)

uffer) will be possible if it is fully screened from the Breckland SPA byexisting development. A project level appropriate assessment should beundertaken to ensure no adverse affect upon the integrity of the SPA.A 400m buffer zone has been defined around those parts of the SPA thatsupport or are capable of supporting nightjar and woodlark. Anydevelopment proposal within this zone will need to clearly demonstratethat it will not adversely affect the integrity of the SPA.Building for Life4.31 We will have regard to the Commission for Architecture and the BuiltEnvironment‟s (CABE) “Building for Life” standards as a tool for consideringproposals for new housing development.4.32 The Building for Life standard is the national benchmark for well-designedhousing and neighbourhoods in England and was launched by the Deputy PrimeMinister in 2003. It can prove a helpful tool in recognising and influencing gooddesign in terms of how it contributes positively to place-making. There are 20criteria, divided into the main categories of: character; roads, parking andpedestrianisation; design and construction; and environment and community.4.33 These standards have been adopted and are a performance indicator thatwill need to be monitored as part of the Annual Monitoring Report. Details ofthese standards can be found at www.buildingforlife.org and on the council‟s websiteat www.stedmundsbury.gov.ukCode for Sustainable Homes4.34 The Code for Sustainable Homes is an environmental assessment method forrating and certifying the performance of new homes. It is a national standard foruse in the design and construction of new homes with a view to encouragingcontinuous improvement in sustainable home building.4.35 The Code is based on EcoHomes and provides a comprehensive measure ofthe sustainability of new homes, ensuring that sustainable homes deliver realimprovements in key areas such as carbon dioxide emissions and water use.4.36 The Code covers nine categories of sustainable design including:Energy and CO2 EmissionsWaterMaterialsSurface Water Run-offWastePollutionHealth and WellbeingManagementEcology.4.37 One or more performance requirements (assessment criteria) are assignedby the Code to all of the environmental issues. When each performancerequirement is achieved, a credit is awarded (except the four mandatoryrequirements with no associated credits). The total number of credits available toa Category is the sum of credits available for all the issues within it.40