Hotel interior designers know that green creates a calm environment, but what is the effect of the new green environment upon that calm?
In publishing its Planning Policy Statement (PPS) on Planning and Climate Change in December 2007, the Government quoted a statement issued by the then Prime Minister, Tony Blair MP in 2005; “Climate Change represents a potentially catastrophic threat, but it is within our control to address it – and address it we must.” The PPS is the Government’s national planning policy statement explaining the role the development industry must play in planning for and delivering sustainable development. Its impact on hotel development and refurbishment will be material for landowners, construction companies and operators.
The development industry is crucial to delivering sustainable development. It provides new or refurbished buildings; it supports the business development necessary to create jobs and prosperity; and it supports the delivery of infrastructure e.g. transport, energy and water. Government policy in the PPS recognizes that the United Kingdom and its economy must continue to evolve and prosper. Climate Change and Government policy does not mean that we stop building and developing. It does not mean that investment should stop. What it means is that we must plan, build and generate in a different way in order to grow more sustainably. Put simply, a development’s impact on climate change is not a reason for refusal of planning permission; rather, a proposed development’s failure to take into account Government policy in the PPS may be a reason for refusal.
The UK Government is putting in place a statutory and policy framework to combat the effects of climate change and reduce emissions. Together, these recognise that a strong economy is required to provide the investment that will pay for the development of new technologies and 21st Century methods of construction to meet the challenge of reducing emissions in the development industry. The UK remains an EU and global leader by setting a policy and statutory framework for combating climate change, and the PPS on Planning and Climate Change is part of that framework. There is still some way to go - the UK Government has not yet put in place the tax incentives needed to make significant advances on current progress.
The PPS makes two particular points. First, planning and development should contribute to reducing emissions and stabilizing climate change and take into account the unavoidable consequences of climate change. Secondly, applicants for planning permission should consider how well their proposals contribute to a low carbon economy, and how well adapted buildings are for climate change. For the industry, the need to consider the entire life of a building from concept to build and beyond, is now essential. Team members with differing disciplines (project managers, quantity surveyors, building surveyors, lawyers, investors and developers) must continue to work as one team. The “One Team” approach should have a single objective – for example, to develop a built hotel which is carbon neutral and is able to adapt to changing weather patterns (e.g. an increase in solar heat or less rain). In order to develop land or buildings in accordance with national policy, the industry has to plan, adapt and evolve. The potential payback is the speedier grant of planning permission.
Site Selection
Whether it is a new (greenfield) or an existing (brownfield) site, or a refurbishment, the following matters need to be considered.
Could the planned development link into de-centralised/ renewable/low carbon energy supplies? Even in the middle of a city a redeveloped hotel may still be able to plug into a supplier which sources energy from renewable sources. What are the known physical environmental constraints on the development of the land? What impact will a drier climate have on the stability of the foundations and what can be done to combat that? What provision can be made for water harvesting technology or water reuse so potable water demand is reduced?
What impact does this assessment exercise have on the price of land and its attractiveness as a development site? In the PPS, the site selection process becomes one of significant importance; if you pick a poor site and the scheme fails to measure up to planning policy requirements, you may well fail to get planning permission for development.
Scheme Design
The “One Team” must consider what design and future proofing is incorporated into the building. Can natural light be used so that the energy demand for lighting is reduced? Is there room for a combined heat and power plant? What water harvesting technology can it be incorporated into the design? Does the site provide the space for facilities for re-use and re-cycling? Can all of this kit be easily and economically maintained or replaced and who would pay for it? Once it is established as a design principle, can that kit be rolled out across a hotel brand or portfolio so that the technology becomes more of a commodity?
There will, inevitably, be some gaps between what developers want to provide and what the planning authorities expect to receive. There is still the natural tension between ‘theory’ and what is practical and feasible. Fortunately, the PPS places weight upon the fact that planning authorities will have to consider precisely what is feasible and practical. There is no ‘one size fits all’ ; planning authorities will still have to consider each scheme on its own merits.
Mitigation
Site selection and scheme design are now part of the planning mitigation process – how a development scheme can be mitigated is fundamental in obtaining the confidence of the planning authority and the resultant planning permission. By the time the planning application is submitted to a planning authority, it should illustrate that PPS policies have been ‘built into’ site selection and scheme design. The resulting planning conditions and obligations should then reflect the scheme’s in-built ability to cope with and be resilient to climate change. The resulting mitigation package at the planning permission stage may well be less complex and easier to manage as part of the building process.
To register for the upcoming CMS hotel seminar, discussing the effect these and other green initiatives will have on your business, please contact Renuka Doshi on renuka.doshi@cms-cmck.com. The seminar will take place in London on 24 September 2008 from 5.00pm. Speakers will include industry experts from CMS Cameron McKenna, Stephen Richardson, EMEA Head of Hospitality Valuations from Cushman & Wakefield Hospitality and an interview with Gordon Campbell Gray, Founder and Managing Director of One Aldwych. The seminar will be moderated by Nik Wood from the BBC's Working Lunch programme.
