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Edinburgh's green building code unveiled

Posted: 07/02/2007

All major new developments in Edinburgh will be forced to cut carbon dioxide emissions and provide renewable energy sources on-site to comply with a new "green" building code. Under the Standards for Sustainable Buildings code, due to be unveiled by city planning leaders, every application for a development of more than 1000 square metres will have to include a pledge to provide ten per cent of its power through renewable energy sources on site.

Developers will also be forced to reduce CO2 emissions from the construction work, and they will have to fill out a new assessment form pledging to build environmentally-friendly developments that minimise pollution and strive to use recycled building materials.

The move comes as part of a Government drive to cut carbon dioxide emissions - one of the main causes of global warming - by 60 per cent by 2050. It also comes amid a Scottish Executive drive to ensure that the country generates 40 per cent of its electricity from renewable sources by 2020.

City planning chief Trevor Davies said the code was vital in ensuring that future developments in the city helped to reduce climate change. He said: "Our vision is for Edinburgh to be northern Europe's most successful and sustainable city-region by 2015. The built environment has an important role to play in supporting this aspiration and this [code] will be a key tool to help encourage sustainable design in major new development and conversions, and will set a high standard for future developments in the city."

The code has also been backed by Communities Minister Rhona Brankin MSP, who said: "It's vital when planning new developments we do our utmost to minimise their impact on our environment. We all need to take responsibility for this and local authorities have a key role to play by promoting sustainable development in their area.

"Edinburgh has taken a major step towards this by setting these standards for sustainable buildings. The council's priority targets will go a long way to helping Scotland achieve its goal of generating 40 per cent of its electricity from renewable sources by 2020."

The code will come into force in May and all developments of 1000sq m, ten units or 0.5 hectares will have to adhere to the guidelines in order to gain planning consent. The council is also aiming to introduce a special award for sustainable building, which will grade new developments according to how much renewable energy they provide and how low their CO2 emissions are. It is aimed at encouraging housebuilders to go beyond just meeting minimum requirements.

The move has been welcomed by environmental groups. Friends of the Earth Scotland's head of research Stuart Hay, said : "We congratulate Edinburgh council for taking serious action on climate change emissions from buildings. Where Edinburgh leads, other Scottish local authorities and the Scottish Executive must follow. Since nearly half of our climate change emissions come from the built environment, this bold action will help deliver warm homes without warming the planet."

The facts
Developers building more than ten flats or houses, or on an area of more than 1000 square metres, will be required to:

1. Ensure that at least ten per cent of energy requirements on the finished site are supplied by on-site renewable energy sources

2. Take steps to cut CO2 emissions arising from construction work

3. Pass a sustainability test which requires them to complete points on some, but not all, of the following objectives:

• re-using existing buildings and brownfield land wherever possible
• providing good pedestrian, cycle and public transport access
• consulting with the local community to draw up "public realm" benefits
• the possibility of providing excess energy generation for the national grid
• using recycled building materials in at least 10% of the development
• providing water saving devices and adequate rainwater drainage on roofs and car parking spaces
• providing recycling bins compost facilities on-site

Adrian Mather / The Scotsman  
 

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