1. The council will encourage the retention, re-use and renovation of buildings where possible, particularly where they make a positive contribution to the character and appearance of the area, either individually or as part of a group, recognising the existing embodied carbon that the buildings represent.
  2. Planning applications for extension to existing homes should consider making reasonable improvements to the energy performance of the existing dwelling.

Explanation

  1. In Stockport, residential buildings account for 35% of the borough's greenhouse gas emissions85. The 5-Year Environment Plan for Greater Manchester86 sets specific and ambitious targets for retrofitting the current building stock, recognising the importance of retrofitting for achieving reduction of carbon emissions: “Retrofitting of existing residential properties is the most significant issue in achieving our aims for carbon neutrality.” The plan sets a target of retrofitting 60,000 homes, 650 public sector buildings and 11,000 commercial buildings across Greater Manchester by 2030.
  2. The vast majority of houses standing now will still be standing in 2038, necessitating extensive retrofitting with a mixture of energy-efficiency measures and low-carbon technologies. Retrofitting is recognised to be one of the most important yet difficult aspects of emissions reduction to address. Deep retrofitting of buildings is expensive, intrusive and can have long payback periods. Measures such as loft and wall insulation are well known, and additional measures such as double or triple-glazed windows and draught exclusion are part of a fabric-first approach to retrofitting that aims to reduce the energy demand for a building. In order to retrofit buildings for a net-zero future, fossil fuel heating systems must be replaced by low and zero carbon alternatives such as air source heat pumps (ASHP) and solar PV, and external wall insulation may be required. Historic England has published an advice note87 on “Adapting Historic Buildings for Energy and Carbon Efficiency” and regard should be had to this note when retrofitting historic buildings. The council will support homeowners through signposting retrofit programmes and schemes that could assist with a home retrofit. The council is also supportive in delivering carbon reduction improvements by identifying financial support initiatives both regionally and nationally, working in collaboration with the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA).
  3. There are a number of barriers to retrofitting buildings to help mitigate the effects of climate change and reduce carbon emissions, including financial issues, skills shortages and the need to seek planning permission or prior approvals. We will consider bringing forward a Local Development Order (LDO) which means that planning permission does not have to be individually granted for the installation,

85 See www.gov.uk/government/collections/uk-local-authority-and-regional-greenhouse-gas-emissions-national-statistics

86 See www.greatermanchester-ca.gov.uk/what-we-do/environment/five-year-environment-plan/

87 See https://historicengland.org.uk/images-books/publications/adapting-historic-buildings-energy-carbon-efficiency-advice-note-18/