4.57 A Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) should be completed at the design stage to identify improvements to the design with regard to embodied energy and carbon footprint of the proposal.
4.58 Building design should follow the LETI (London Energy Transformation Initiative) Climate Emergency Design Guide , with specific reference to the small-scale residential architype guidance. The following targets should be set – alongside other guidance on heating and hot water and demand response:
4.60 Where glazing is expansive to encourage solar gain, the design should incorporate measures to prevent overheating, such as recessing glazing, incorporating natural ventilation, projecting eaves, canopies or similar. These measures should also reduce the glare and light pollution that such openings may emit.
4.61 Designs must strike a balance between reducing glazing on northerly facing elevation to reduce heat loss while ensuring that sufficient daylight reaches the main rooms of the house for the health of the occupiers. Designers can consider the daylight factor and how to allow daylight into rooms, for example through sunpipes, rooflights, glazing that is not conventional windows such high windows above eye level (clerestories), angling the plasterwork around windows to increase daylighting or the internal layout of spaces.
4.62 Large areas of glazing do not reinforce local distinctiveness or sense of place. Outside of urban areas large areas of glazing can also result in light pollution which both national policy and the Local Plan seek to avoid. In sensitive landscape locations the extensive use of glazing is unlikely to be acceptable.
4.63 Tree planting and other soft landscaping features should be used to provide shading and wind buffering to avoid excess cooling/heating of building interiors.
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1. In order to maximise solar gain without leading to overheating the proportion of each dwelling elevation that is to be glazed should fit into the following ranges:
1a. North 10-15%
1b. East 10-15%
1c. South 20-25%
1d. West 10-15%
2. In order to reduce heat loss through external walls; terraced or semi detached houses, maisonettes, or flats are to be built rather than detached houses.
3.Tree planting and other soft landscaping features are to be used to provide shading and wind buffering to void excess cooling/heating of building interiors.
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To minimise the carbon generated through construction and development, new development must:
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4.65 To promote a circular economy and reduce the emissions associated with the end-of-life use stage, building methods and materials that can be dissembled and recycled should be prioritised.
4.66 Rainwater harvesting systems should be installed in all new developments. This will ease the pressure on the local water supply during drought periods.
