eg magazine sustainability, resource efficiency & climate change

http://www.ukgbc.org/site/document/download/?document_id=752

Local development frameworks (LDFs) could have a key role in the delivery of community-scale heating, water harvesting, waste disposal and waste re-use, according to a report on community infrastructure produced by the UK Green Building Council (UK-GBC) and the Zero Carbon Hub. The Sustainable Community Infrastructure Task Group has been examining the key issues which face industry, local government and policy makers in connection with the deployment of integrated, cost effective, low carbon infrastructure such as community scale heating, water harvesting and waste management that are going to play a crucial role in meeting the challenges of delivering a sustainable built environment.  The report argues that infrastructure such as this, when planned and delivered in an integrated way, can offer considerable carbon and cost savings and community benefits. Key recommendations include:

• Local authorities should develop ‘Sustainability Option Plans’, to identify opportunities to deliver joined-up sustainable community infrastructure and work in partnership with the private sector to supply this.

• Public sector buildings should be required, where available and viable, to connect to existing or planned community heat networks, to provide an ‘anchor load’ of demand, and large businesses should be encouraged to do the same.

• The ‘allowable solutions’ mechanism should be used as a way of providing additional ring fenced capital to support the delivery of heat infrastructure. Government has said that developers will be able to invest in so-called allowable solutions in order to meet the required standard when constructing new zero carbon buildings.