Policy aims for environmental quality and resilience

The aim of the LDP is to enhance environmental quality, where possible, and protect communities from materially harmful development. In assessing proposed development, the LDP will consider issues of environmental quality, including those relating to ground contamination, air, water, noise and light pollution. Environmental resilience for a growing and vibrant city is a key objective of the LDP. The LDP policies relating to environmental resilience focus on a range of mitigation and adaptation measures, including the following key aims: • Sustainable patterns of development that reduce the need to travel and provide an efficient integrated transport network offering sustainable travel choices that reduce private car use, congestion, carbon emissions and air pollution; • Shaping new and existing developments in ways that reduce greenhouse gas emissions and positively build community resilience to problems such as extreme heat or flood risk; • Promote innovative building technologies and passive design to improve energy efficiency, alleviate fuel poverty, maximise reuse of materials and reduce carbon emissions; • Manage development within areas of flood risk and ensure the sustainable design of new development reduces future risk from flooding. Encourage flood resilient design to build the city's resilience for future generations; and • Working with natural environmental processes, for example through promoting the development of green infrastructure and also the use of SuDS, to reduce flood risk and improve water quality.