Maximising energy efficiencies in new development

New development should seek to provide sustainable, energy efficient buildings, minimising their carbon footprint both during construction and through the buildings lifecycle. While the guidance set out in this section should be applied to all development and outlines minimum requirements, the council will however promote and encourage higher standards where appropriate and achievable. Here consideration should be given to embedding sustainable features within the design of a proposal from the outset so as to avoid retrofitting at later stages. While this may incur higher costs initially, developers should be aware of the impact energy efficient measures will have across the lifespan of the scheme.