On 6 March 2024, Ipswich Borough Council’s Planning & Development Committee endorsed a guide aimed at helping developers to reduce the emissions and carbon footprint of developments. It has been created to challenge and support developers in working towards achieving net zero development. It will be particularly helpful for pre-application discussions. The guide provides advice, sources of information and best practice.

The guide sets out a range of measures developers can adopt to minimise and mitigate CO2 emissions. The measures build on the efficiency requirements set out for new developments in the Council’s Local Plan Policies DM1 ‘Sustainable Construction’ and DM2 ‘Decentralised Renewable or Low Carbon Energy’ (Ipswich Local Plan, 2022).

There are multiple national, county and borough drivers and targets for reducing energy use in buildings and switching to renewable and low carbon sources, as well as targets related to climate change and the cost-of-living crisis. This document provides guidance that straddles these areas, providing a clear set of guidelines which support compliance with Ipswich Local Plan and link to the Council’s Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan.

Download the Low Carbon Guide here.

The guide also extends and runs in parallel to the work undertaken through the Low Emissions Supplementary Planning Document (SPD), which was adopted by Ipswich Borough Council on 17th November 2021.  The Low Emissions SPD sets out a range of measures developers can adopt to minimise and mitigate air quality impacts that may arise from proposed development.