The document summarizes two projects in Hertfordshire, UK that aim to promote sustainable design and development: the SPECIAL project and the Building Futures project. The Building Futures project is a partnership between local planning authorities, led by Hertfordshire County Council, that aims to place sustainable design at the heart of new development planning. It has created a Sustainable Design Toolkit to provide guidance and consistency in decision making around sustainability. The toolkit can be used from the strategic planning phase through to post-development. The project also promotes expert design review panels and additional advisory services to address skills gaps and further advocacy, training, and cross-organization work on sustainability issues.

1. Building a Resilient Environment
9 September 2014
Smartlife Low Carbon Centre,
Cambridge

2. Building a Resilient Environment
Agenda
• SPECIAL Project
• Building Futures Project

3. Building a Resilient Environment
SPECIAL Project

4. Hertfordshire BuildingFutures
Andrew Turner
Built Environment Project Officer
Hertfordshire County Council

5. BuildingFutures Partnership
 Local Planning Authorities
 Led by Hertfordshire County Council
 Stakeholder input & engagement
Aims
 Place sustainable design at the heart of planning new development
 Create an integrated and consistent approach to sustainable design
 Improve the quality of new development
www.hertslink.org/buildingfutures

6. Achieving Sustainable Design
Challenges?
 The system
 Priority and weight
 Clarity & consistency
(message, purpose/aims,
decisions)
 Skills & resource
Response?
 Leadership
 Identify opportunities
 Business case
 Resources, training & support
 Sharing & Coordination
www.hertslink.org/buildingfutures

7. BuildingFutures
www.hertslink.org/buildingfutures

8. Sustainable Design Toolkit
www.hertslink.org/buildingfutures

9. Sustainable Design Toolkit
Why?
 Improve communication of best
practice principles
 Aid decision making
How?
 Framework - targeted Q’s & advice
 Create clarity and consistency
 Provoke thought and discussion
 Allow flexible outcomes
www.hertslink.org/buildingfutures

10. Sustainable Design Toolkit
Using it
 Planning and design, from vision/concept to post-consent
 Strategic planning:
site allocations
development briefs
master plans
thematic policies
 Development management:
pre-app
planning application
reserved matters, conditions, place-keeping, retrofit
www.hertslink.org/buildingfutures

11. Sustainable Design Toolkit
Benefits
 ‘One-stop-shop’
 Simple, clear and consistent framework, flexible to local context
 Promotes an integrated approach
Next steps & impact so far
 Herts LPAs to use as standing guidance to inform pre-app
 Advocating a policy-led approach (strategic, site specific & thematic)
 Taking it beyond Hertfordshire
www.hertslink.org/buildingfutures

12. Herts Design Review Panel
 Promoted by the NPPF
(para 63, 64, 66)
 Expert, practical and context-specific
advice
 Single buildings to urban extensions
 Multi-disciplinary: PLACE
 Integration of sustainability
 Earlier the better, with ongoing input
 Address the skills ‘gap’?
www.hertslink.org/buildingfutures

14. Going forward
 New advisory service: targeted support/resource
 Advocacy
What more can be done?
 Proactive, Creative planning
 Training and awareness
 Learn from others
 Work with others
www.hertslink.org/buildingfutures

15. Thank you
@sus_dev
Hertfordshire Building Futures group
andrew.turner1@hertfordshire.gov.uk
www.hertslink.org/buildingfutures

16. Building a Resilient Environment
Questions and Summary