BASE HEADER

The role of the District in generating inward and outward flows of commuter traffic (principally to/from Coventry and Birmingham) should be highlighted. To minimise carbon emissions from current and future traffic flows the DPD should explicitly favour new development with minimum dwelling densities (NPPF paras 124/5) especially along public transport routes; and co-located as far as practical with planned employment locations (both within and outside the District), to encourage shorter journeys and greater use of active transport

How can this DPD ensure that new development does not add to the District's deficit if the many thousands of new homes envisaged will NOT be net zero and there will be significant retrofitting?

1.3.1 The objective should also cover standards not just for new buildings but for all retrofitting, refurbishment, conversion and extension projects on existing buildings; and planned sample inspections by trained zero-engineers to ensure objective emissions are being sustained.
It is recognised that these standards may need to be more practical and flexible for existing buildings but should be as explicit and ambitious as possible. They also need to reflect an associated objective to encourage refurbishment of old stock rather than demolition/newbuild in order to minimise net additions to embedded carbon. See comments under section 9 & 10 below