Climate emergency strategy

Theme 5: Land use, green space and development

• Encourage and where possible enforce low carbon standards for all new development
• Achieve a carbon neutral standard for development on land disposed of by the council as well as a reduced carbon footprint from construction materials
• Support opportunities to expand local heat networks to provide affordable, low carbon heat to homes and businesses and reduce emissions from the existing district heat system
• Support proposals for renewable energy generation and storage where appropriate
• Improve our understanding of how trees, wetlands and green spaces can protect the city from heatwaves and flooding
• Encourage use of sustainable drainage schemes (SuDS) in new developments
• Continue to implement flood risk management schemes that protect homes, businesses and infrastructure from flooding and contribute to biodiversity and amenity
• Implement the council’s Tree Strategy
• Deliver the local Biodiversity Action Plan to address threats to wildlife from climate change
• Improve our understanding of carbon storage in soils and different habitats and use this to inform land use, green space and development policies and practices

Actions for 2020-2023 include:

• Adopt new Local Plan following completion of consultation process and independent examination
• Ensure large strategic council-owned sites proposed in the Local Plan contribute to climate change mitigation and adaptation
• Secure a low carbon housing development at Ashton Green
• Design and develop an exemplar low carbon, social housing scheme on land owned by the council in the North West Leicester regeneration area
• Develop our understanding of sustainable methods of construction
• Secure proposals from ENGIE for future decarbonisation of the local district heating network
• Develop and encourage implementation of a technical guide for developers on SuDS
• Maintain a publicly available register of flood risk assets
• Undertake a feasibility study for a surface water flood alleviation scheme at Leicester Royal Infirmary
• Work with partners and stakeholders including the Environment Agency to deliver flood mitigation schemes across the city
• Deliver workshops and engagement through Eco Schools and the ‘Sea starts here’ campaign to increase awareness of the impact of climate change and waste on the water environment