Environment

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Policy EN1 provides the overall approach to the sustainable design of new development. It sets out standards and criteria to be met. Chapter 8 also includes policies on energy and net zero carbon buildings, waste and the circular economy and electric vehicle infrastructure.    

Southampton’s District Energy Scheme is one of the oldest and largest city centre schemes and first began delivering heat through a district heating network in 1986. Since then, the scheme has grown with new energy centres and customers and delivers a source of heating, cooling and power. It is an important part of Southampton’s infrastructure and there is an expectation that connection should be made to the district energy network where there is an existing network.  

Connection to the district energy network may significantly increase the attractiveness of the development to potential occupiers through reduced space and maintenance needs and be the most effective way of addressing the C02 reduction requirements. Cooling is likely to become an increasing issue in the future with global temperature rises, and the district energy network includes a provision for cooling. EQUANS (previously known as ENGIE) operate the Southampton District Energy Scheme. For city centre developments, contact should be made with EQUANS, or their successor if applicable, to ascertain where connection to the district energy network is viable. 

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The protection and enhancement of the natural environment is a key theme in the Green City Plan 2030. It is fundamental to delivering a better environment and should be considered at the outset of any development proposals. 

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Southampton’s designated sites and areas of open space are part of a network of green spaces which include private gardens. These range from larger areas such as Southampton Common containing a variety of habitats; the city’s greenways which provide green corridors for wildlife; to smaller local green spaces. They are linked together by informal areas such as verges along transport corridors, street trees and habitats including wildflower meadows. This green infrastructure forms an ecological and recreational Green Grid for the city.  

These spaces deliver ‘multi-functional’ benefits for the city’s diverse population including enhancing the quality of place and design, landscape, amenity, supporting attractive routes for active travel, health and wellbeing, disease control, biodiversity and nature conservation, air quality and flood risk management, urban cooling and creating space for allotments and community food growing (also reducing ‘food miles’). These benefits are also sometimes described as ecosystems services. Furthermore, many of these spaces are in areas of known or potential archaeological interest. 

The Green Grid comprises existing green spaces and corridors and strategic links with opportunities to create a greener environment to link homes with green spaces. Together these will deliver benefits for wildlife, improve access and create a healthier, more pleasant place to live.   

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The city’s open space covers many types of provision which includes parks several of which have attained Green Flag Award status, sports pitches, playing fields, school grounds, children’s outdoor play spaces, allotments, cemeteries and churchyards, woodland and natural areas, amenity spaces, and civic spaces along with blue open spaces such as lakes, ponds and rivers. Together, these open spaces also constitute part of Southampton’s Green Grid (see Policy EN3: Green Infrastructure and the Green Grid).   

Southampton’s open spaces are key to its quality of life, making the city an attractive place to live, work and visit and providing important health benefits such as improving mental wellbeing and providing opportunities for physical activity. The city’s open spaces will become ever more important as the population of the city continues to increase and development of other land is required to support this. The Plan takes a strong approach to protecting and enhancing existing open spaces along with providing new open spaces (see Policy EN5: New Open Space and Green Infrastructure Provision) in order to maximise these multi-functional benefits. 

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New development will steadily increase the net population of the city.  It is important that new development creates new public open space, enhances the capacity and quality of existing open space, and contributes to the greening of the city, to cater for these additional needs. This will reduce pressures on existing open spaces, contribute to good design and place making, and deliver the multi-functional benefits of open space for residents, workers and visitors. 

 The city contains a wealth of archaeological remains reflecting important changes in the development of the locality, the region and the nation. These range in date from the earliest prehistoric times to the 20th century. They include the remains of the Roman town at Bitterne Manor, the Middle Saxon and Late Saxon towns, and the medieval town, all of which are nationally significant. As well as below ground remains, they include historic structures, whether or not they are scheduled or listed, for instance industrial buildings. Sites and artefacts are located not only on dry land but also underwater and in the intertidal zone. All are a finite and non-renewable resource requiring careful management. This complex picture is constantly being amended and elaborated as a result of archaeological investigation. For instance, extensive evidence of Bronze Age, Iron Age and Roman settlement has been found in recent decades, including in the city centre.   

Southampton is a low-lying coastal city and is therefore susceptible to flood risk from tidal inundation, surface water, rising groundwater levels and possible wastewater infrastructure overflow during extreme weather events.  In addition, there is a risk of fluvial flooding from the rivers Test, Itchen and a range of smaller brooks and watercourses, including culverted watercourses. 

Several areas of the city are already at higher risk from tidal flooding, with areas adjacent to the coastline falling into flood zones 2 or 3, most notably along the western banks of the River Itchen (the Itchen Riverside Quarter), where the Council and Environment Agency are working in partnership to prepare the River Itchen Flood Alleviation scheme.  Elsewhere tidal risk is currently generally low.  However, as a result of climate change, flood risks will increase.  Rising sea levels over the next 50 to 100 years will increase the areas affected by tidal flood risk, and the depths of flooding in areas already affected.  Significant parts of the central areas and the city centre will be at increased risk if no action is taken.  Wetter winters and generally drier summers (with intense incidents of rainfall) will increase the risk of surface water flooding as water is unable to soak into dry ground or the capacity of watercourses or sewers is exceeded.  However, the Council has a statutory Local Flood Risk Management Strategy which provides a strategic and integrated approach to managing all sources of flooding.  The Council is the lead local flood authority for the area and will ensure that all new development manages flood risk appropriately. 

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Poor air quality remains the greatest environmental risk to public health in the UK, impacting those with breathing and heart conditions the most. Poor air quality is associated with causing and exacerbating a wide range of disease including lung cancer. The equivalent of 340,000 years of life are lost each year due to human-made air pollution indoors and outdoors in the UK. In Southampton, 6.3% of deaths can be attributed to particulate matter pollution alone.  

Particulate Matter (PM) and Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2) are the pollutants of largest concern. PM is mostly emitted from the burning of wood and other solid fuels in the home and industry while road transport is the main source of NO2 and also contributes to PM.  

Taking action to improve air quality will reduce the burden pollution has on the health of our residents and help tackle inequalities. Developments which prioritise clean air have the opportunity to have a large positive impact on our air and the health of our residents, including new occupants.

Noise pollution can be defined as unwanted sound (whether that is music, industrial machinery or road traffic) and is, to some extent an expected and unavoidable part of everyday life, particularly in dense urban areas such as Southampton. However, it can also be a source of stress and irritation and can sometimes have a detrimental impact on people’s health and quality of life. 

Similarly, light pollution can be defined as unwanted or excessive lighting and is, to some extent an unavoidable aspect of city living. Certain light pollution such as that created by street lighting is essential for people’s health and safety at night. Nevertheless, light pollution can sometimes create a significant disturbance to the lives of both people and wildlife, particularly in residential areas.  

Industrial and commercial uses are amongst the most likely to cause significant light and noise pollution however the construction of other forms of development can also create unacceptable disturbances.  

The policy intentions below aim to address and mitigate these harmful impacts.