Crawley Borough Local Development Framework Submission Core Strategy

PART 2: SUBMISSION CORE STRATEGY

PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT THEMES

SUSTAINABILITY

Delivering development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs and improving the quality of life for people today, whilst thinking about those who will live after us.

1.1

Every agency and every individual bears a responsibility for helping to create a more sustainable environment for the future. The planning system plays a particularly important role through the way in which it secures or encourages sustainable development - development which is located in the most sustainable locations and development which through its design or operation contributes to more sustainable future lifestyles.

1.2

The principles of sustainable development are fundamental to European, national, regional and strategic planning policy. The UK Government set out five sustainable development principles in March 2005:

Ensuring a strong, healthy and just society;
Living within environmental limits;
Achieving a sustainable economy;
Promoting good Governance; and
Using sound science responsibly.

1.3

These principles, which reflect the need for social and economic as well as environmental sustainablity, underpin the the Core Strategy.

Objectives

1.4

In order that the planning framework for the Borough contributes to a more sustainable environment, the Core Strategy has the following objectives:

To contribute to the development of a sustainable, innovative and productive economy, which can deliver, for the long term, high levels of employment and a wide range of employment opportunities;
To support the development of sustainable communities which meet the needs of existing and future residents in terms of their social, economic and environmental requirements and which provide the basis for a just and inclusive society;
To protect, maintain and enhance the built and natural environment of the Borough;
To secure the more efficient use of scarce resources and energy.

Achieving Sustainable Development and Building Sustainable Communities

1.5

Achieving sustainable development and building sustainable communities are major aims of national planning policy. These aims underpin the development plan for Crawley, comprising the emerging Regional Spatial Strategy (the South East Plan) and the various documents produced by the Borough Council through its Local Development Scheme, including this Core Strategy.

The following publications set out some of the principal elements of national policy on sustainable development and building sustainable communities that are relevant to Crawley:

UK Sustainable Development Strategy;

PPS1 Delivering Sustainable Development (and the draft supplement on Planning and Climate Change);

PPS3 Housing;

PPS6 Planning for Town Centres;

PPS7 Sustainable Development in Rural Areas;

PPS9 Biodiversity and Geological Conservation;

PPS10 Planning for Sustainable Waste Management;

PPG13 Transport;

PPG15 Planning and the Historic Environment;

PPS22 Renewable Energy;

PPS23 Planning and Pollution Control;

PPS25 Development and Flood Risk.

1.6

The policies of these and other relevant Government publications are not repeated in this strategy but are embedded and reflected in its Borough-specific policies and proposals and will underlie the Council's decision making in all areas affected by the strategy, including those on individual planning applications.

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