Planning rules have been updated to help residents and businesses in Bath and North East Somerset improve energy efficiency in their homes and buildings.
Air source heat pumps outside a home
The new guidance, which has been adopted by B&NES Council, includes a raft of measures and practical information allowing more sustainable construction and retrofitting of buildings in the area.
The guidance is in the new Energy Efficiency Retrofitting and Sustainable Construction Supplementary Planning Document (SPD), which was approved by Councillor Tim Ball, cabinet member for Planning and Licensing, in a single-member decision.
Examples include advice on insulating solid floors, timber floor draft proofing, secondary glazing and air source heat pumps for central heating.
Councillor Ball said: “The practical guidance and advice included in the combined SPD can help all of us to make our homes and buildings more comfortable and energy efficient.
“Given that majority of emissions in B&NES arise from buildings, implementing retrofitting and sustainable construction measures will also allow residents to play their part in tackling the climate and ecological emergency.”
The SPD includes a ‘Quick Wins’ checklist, which gives practical, free and cheap solutions to save fuel and water which homeowners and occupiers can implement immediately.
A revised ‘Retrofitting and its Impact’ table, allows residents to compare the cost, environmental rating, planning consents required and scalability of each retrofitting measure.
The Sustainable Construction & Retrofitting Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) and Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy in Historic Building SPDs were merged and updated to create one document. It can be found here.
