Environment and Quality of Life
LATEST NEWS AND VIEWS
Between 9 September and 4 November 2011 the Council consulted on draft district-wide planning policies to manage development in the Harrogate District. You can find out more about this consultation on the Urban Areas Consultation page.
We also consulted on a draft Renewable and Low Carbon Energy Supplementary Planning Document (2.8Mb) which will provide more guidance for applicants on development proposals including these technologies.
You may also be interested to read the Harrogate District Planning and Climate Change Study (23Mb) which assesses the opportunities for renewable and low carbon energy across the District.
If you wish to enter the debate, or would like to be informed about future consultations please email us on: ldf@harrogate.gov.uk
Current Policy
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Chapters 3 to 6 of the Harrogate District Local Plan set out current planning policy for the countryside, nature conservation, Green Belt, and heritage & design
In February 2009, the Council adopted the Harrogate District Core Strategy. Chapter 7 of the Core Strategy (227KB) includes policies EQ1 and EQ2 regarding the environment and quality of life: |
| Core Strategy Policy EQ1 |
(Reducing Risks to the Environment) encourages all new development to minimise energy and water consumption, the use of non-renewable resources, travel by car, flood risk and waste. It sets high standards of sustainable construction and design for all development and sets out the Council's approach to stand alone renewable energy projects. (Also see Validation Certificate for Sustainable Construction and Design(Policy EQ1)(35KB) and Sustainable Construction and Design: Guide Note (540KB)) |
| Core Strategy Policy EQ2 |
(The Natural and Built Environment and Green Belt) seeks to protect, and where possible, enhance the natural and built environment. It sets out the Council's approach to the Green Belt and Local Landscape Designations. |
Emerging Policy
The Council is now preparing the Sites & Policies DPD which, together with the Core Strategy, will replace the Local Plan. The Sites & Policies DPD is scheduled for adoption in 2013 and will contain detailed policies to help deliver Core Strategy policies EQ1 and EQ2. At this stage we are looking to include the following policies:
| Policy EQ3: Development within the Greenbelt. |
Policy EQ6: Area Based Natural Assets. |
| Policy EQ4: Designated Assets. |
Policy EQ7: Landscape Protection. |
| Policy EQ5: Local Distinctiveness. |
Policy IN2: Green Infrastructure. |
Find out more from: 'Plan the future with us' (1Mb) and a summary of consultation responses to it (100KB).
Evidence Base:
Policies and allocations in the Sites & Policies DPD must take account of, but not duplicate, national and regional planning policy. All policies and allocations must be justified by local circumstances and evidence. As evidence base documents become available they will be published in the Current and Emerging Local Evidence Base.
For more about the Environment and Quality of Life, contact Linda Marfitt on 01423 556583.