PRESS RELEASE
Issued by:
Councillor Gill Gardiner
Date of Issue: Jan 12th 2007
Contact number:
0151 625 2738

PLANNING FOR CLIMATE CHANGE AND A GREENER WIRRAL
“Developers will need to take climate change on board.”

A Liberal Democrat initiative to help Wirral combat climate change and protect the local environment has been warmly welcomed by a Council watchdog committee.

Liberal Democrat Councillor Gill Gardiner , Chair of Regeneration and Planning Strategy Overview and Scrutiny Committee enthusiastically welcomed the progress of the Council's Nottingham Declaration Working Group and its moves to bring planning on to the climate change agenda.

Councillor Gardiner said,
“I'm very encouraged by the progress so far, and our proposals for local planning guidelines for sustainable development, which are essential if we are to tackle the impact of climate change here in Wirral.

“Developers and architects will need to take climate change on board in all future planning applications.

“We need to implement the highest planning standards of sustainability, and we also need a significant increase in the amounts of renewable energy installed in all new and refurbished developments.”

The Council is intending to issue a ‘Developers Guide' in April/May 2007 for developers and anyone submitting a planning application. The Guide will be based on new sustainability and climate change requirements.

Councillor Gardiner said,
“Introducing enforceable local planning guidelines for sustainable development will significantly improve the conservation of natural resources, reduce CO2 emissions, help develop sustainable transport and provide more opportunities for householders to use renewable forms of energy”

New planning rules allow for consultation and discussion with applicants before they submit an application.

Councillor Gardiner said,
“These pre-application discussions will provide an ideal opportunity for Council officers and developers to come together and consider the best way to provide environmental and sustainable measures.”

Wirral's achievements, progress to date and the proposals of the Working Group were scrutinised at a meeting of Regeneration and Planning Strategy Committee on 10 th January.

A further report in March will provide details of more measures to improve sustainability and renewable energy initiatives in Wirral.

Councillor Gardiner said,
“I hope these measures will be ambitious and help place Wirral amongst the leading local authorities in the fight against global warming.

“We can learn a lot from other local authorities. Milton Keynes for example have established a Carbon Offset Fund; developers unable to meet the required environmental standards can contribute to this and support local environmental initiatives. We need to learn from best practice elsewhere to develop the highest possible environmental standards in Wirral.”

The Nottingham Declaration Working Group was set up in response to a Liberal Democrat motion agreed by Full Council in February 2006. Since then Officers and Councillors have been working on Wirral's Climate Change Strategy.

Click here for the Liberal Democrat motion