Sustainable infrastructure

The existing Hillingdon Local Plan sets out the council’s policy approach to: 

  • ensuring new buildings are energy efficient and low carbon
  • expanding decentralised energy networks
  • minimising flood risk, and reducing water run off through Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems (SUDS)
  • protecting ground water, remediating contaminated land, managing waste and improving air quality
  • controlling mineral extraction, aggregates, landfilling, and telecommunications infrastructure.

Existing approach 

Key elements of the Local Plan policies on sustainable infrastructure include:

  • Policy DMEI 2 requires that new developments to reduce carbon emissions in line with London Plan targets and seeking offsite contributions if required
  • Policy DMEI 3 requires major developments to be designed to be able to connect to a decentralised energy network, with those within 500 metres of an existing network required to connect
  • Policy DMEI9 requires developments within flood risk zones 2 and 3a demonstrate there are no suitable sites in areas of lower flood risk, and no development is permitted within flood risk zone 3b
  • Policy DMEI 10 requires all new development to use SUDS, and all major development and all minor development in Critical Drainage Areas or areas at risk of surface water flooding to reduce surface water run off to greenfield rate in a 1:100 year storm scenario, with allowance for climate change
  • Policy DMEI 11 requires development within a Source Protection Zone, Safeguard Zone or Water Protection Zone to assess and protect against harm to groundwater resources
  • Policy DMEI 12 requires development to mitigate or remediate contaminated land
  • Policy DMEI 13 controls developments that import waste
  • Policy DMEI 14 seeks that development is air quality neutral.

Key challenges

The challenges for sustainable infrastructure are very significant and are thought to include: 

  • in 2020, Hillingdon declared a climate emergency and set ambitious targets to become carbon neutral by 2030. There is also a need for buildings to be designed to adapt to climate changes, such as managing the risk from rising heat levels
  • air pollution is a major health challenge. Two thirds of the borough have been designated an Air Quality Management Area (AQMA) since 2003 due to high levels of nitrogen dioxide. Despite measures to reduce pollution, in parts of the borough, particularly close to Heathrow, level remain above legislative air quality limits
  • Hillingdon has large areas at risk of flooding, including from watercourses and surface water. Several critical drainage areas have also been identified. Flood events will worsen due to climate change
  • parts of the borough have a known issue with obtaining electricity connections and infrastructure requirements are needed to facilitate growth in certain locations
  • the need for digital infrastructure will likely continue to ensure global competitiveness, however this need must be balanced against any harm arising, particularly to the existing local context
  • the borough will continue to be required to supply aggregates to support construction, both in terms of hosting land-won aggregate sites and the facilities required to process and transport aggregates.

What the new Local Plan could achieve 

A key commitment from the council strategy is for a green and sustainable borough, where Hillingdon will be a sustainable, carbon-neutral borough. 

The Local Plan should:

  • help meet net zero carbon targets by lowering the carbon impacts of the built environment
  • improve the energy efficiency of both new and existing buildings
  • set out a positive framework for generation of sustainable energy including solar and air and ground source heat pumps, and encouraging use of decentralised energy networks
  • meet new London Plan requirements, including for zero carbon, carbon offsetting, whole life-cycle carbon assessments on development referrable to the Mayor of London
  • continue to direct new development away from high flood risk areas and require sustainable urban drainage in new developments
  • ensure that development is located and designed to improve air quality.

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