What is a Sustainability Statement?
A Sustainability Statement is a report which demonstrates how a scheme will address the core policies set by the local authority regarding sustainability.
Most local authorities will now ask for a Sustainability Statement or even a more specific Energy Statement as part of your overall planning application.
What is Included within a Sustainability Statement?
As each Local Planning Authority outlines their own specific policies and targets, exactly what is included within a Sustainability Statement can differ from area to area. However our Sustainability Statement reports would generally include the following:
A Review of Specific Planning Requirements
We can investigate the specific sustainability planning policies within your schemes area or even speak to your planning officer directly to ensure our sustainability statement will include everything you need to satisfy the planning requirements.
Overall Energy Strategy
We will prepare an overall Energy Strategy for the building and carry out Carbon Emission Calculations such as SAP or SBEM. You can find out more information on our Energy Statements page here.
Low & Zero Carbon Technologies
An investigation into the renewable or low carbon technologies feasible for the site such as PV Panels, Biomass Boilers, or Heat Pumps. You can find out more about our LZC Technology reports here.
Water Efficiency
The estimated water usage on site should be considered and where possible low flow rate fittings should be specified. You can find out more about our Water Efficiency Calculations here.
Flood Risk and Drainage
The proposed site should be assessed to determine the possibility of flooding from either nearby rivers or the sea, surface water flooding, or flood risk from reservoirs. Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems (SUDs) should also be considered.
Sustainable Transport
We will investigate the local communal transport network surrounding your site such as Bus and Railway routes, as well as indicate the presence of local cycle paths in order to demonstrate sustainable transport options.
Noise
We can determine the amount of noise that is to be expected from local road or railway sources, and provide guidance as to how these can be mitigated.
Ecology
The proposed site and surrounding areas should be investigated to determine if there are any Sites of Specific Scientific Interest nearby or if there are any local wildlife habitats that could be affected by the proposed construction.
Air Quality
A Sustainability Statement should also examine the air quality within the proposed area, as this could affect your buildings proposed ventilation strategy. Levels of Pollutants such as NOx and Particulate Matters (PM10) should be considered.
Overheating
Overheating within buildings is becoming a significant problem within the UK and as such we are starting to see more and more Local Authorities request overheating assessments carried out before Planning Permission is granted to a development.
Here at EEABS we can carry out a range of overheating calculations specific to your development, such as CIBSE TM52 for commercial or TM59 for domestic properties, in order to demonstrate that they would not suffer from overheating. You can find out more about our Overheating Calculations here.
How we can Help
At Elmstead Energy Assessments & Building Services we have years of experience in carrying out Sustainability Statements for Planning for a variety of projects and Local Authorities throughout the UK.
We can investigate the specific sustainability requirements of your project and will even be happy to speak to your planning officer to determine exactly what is required for your Sustainability Statement.
We can also work to extremely quick turnaround times when required and to very competitive prices.
