Sustainable Building Checklist

workinproperty.com 06 March 2007

A checklist has been prepared by Checklist South East to help all parties in the development process consider the true impact of any project.

The checklist is intended for the use of developers to ensure that they have tackled the critical issues in their proposal. Similarly it is adopted by planners when considering an application.
The Checklist takes into account industry standards such as BREEAM, Ecohomes, Urban Design Compendium, National Standards Framework.

The Checklist is divided into sub sections, as taken from their website:

• Climate Change and Energy To ensure that new developments are appropriately adapted to the impacts of present and future climate change and to minimise their own impact on greenhouse gases, flooding, heat gain, water resources and water quality.
• Community
  To ensure that the development supports a vibrant, diverse and inclusive community which integrates with surrounding communities.
• Place Making To ensure that the most sustainable sites are used for development and that the design process, layout structure and form provide a development that is appropriate to the local context and supports a sustainable community.
• Transport and Movement To ensure people can reach facilities they need by appropriate transport modes, encouraging walking and public transport use and reducing the use of private cars for shorter journeys.
• Ecology To ensure that the ecological value of the site is conserved and enhanced maintaining biodiversity and protecting existing natural habitats which can contribute to and enhance the amenity of the area.
• Resources To promote the sustainable use of resources, including the reduction and re-use of wastes, related to both the construction and operation of new developments.
• Business To ensure that the development contributes to the sustainable economic vitality of the local area and region.
• Buildings To ensure that the design of individual buildings does not undermine the sustainability of the overall development.
  Checklist South East allows the various parties to answer the numerous questions on-line, providing policy guidance as well as the relative importance of each question.

An important tool in an ever changing (planning) climate..