The London Borough of Barking and Dagenham Climate Change Strategy Draft July 2008 “I’m no longer sceptical…climate change is the major challenge facing the world” (Sir David Attenborough, 2006) “Climate change is the most severe problem that we are facing today, more serious even than the threat of terrorism” (Sir David King, Chief Scientific Advisor to Her Majesty’s Government, 2004) “This is not some slow, uncontrolled change we’re talking about. It’s fast, it’s unpredictable and it’s unprecedented during human civilization” (Adam Markham, World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), 1999).

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Barking and Dagenham: summary The London Borough of Barking and Dagenham is in east London and is situated on the northern bank of the River Thames. It is bordered to the west, north and east by the London Boroughs of Newham, Redbridge and Havering, respectively. Barking and Dagenham covers an area of 37.8km2 (3778 hectares). The River Beam defines much of the eastern boundary of the borough, whilst the River Roding (known in its lower reaches as the Barking Creek) defines the south-west. Other watercourses within the borough are Loxford Water, Gores Brook, Mayes Brook and the Ship and Shovel Sewer. Barking and Dagenham is predominately urbanised, with over 2300 hectares of land dedicated to buildings, gardens and transport. The current population of Barking and Dagenham is about 165, 700 (in 2006), the Greater London Authority (GLA) predict that the population is expected to almost double by 2028 to 238,600. This is mainly due to the Thames Gateway development to the south of the borough (http://arcims/Website/Ward_Profiles/Profiles/Borough_Profile_08.pdf “Borough Profile - London Borough of Barking and Dagenham” (2008) Information Team Policy and Partnerships Resources Department).

London Councils Website, 2008.

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1 Introduction What is Climate Change? The world’s climate is always changing. It changes for different reasons. In the past it has altered as a result of natural causes. However, more recently human activity is changing the world’s climate, by increasing global temperatures. This human activity includes the burning of fossil fuels to produce electricity, driving cars and taking plane journeys. This is caused by the increase in harmful greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide, (CO2) which is released into the atmosphere (the space that surrounds the earth). The earth is heated by the sun; however these greenhouse gases trap some of this heat and cause the earth to heat up more than it naturally should. This may sound like a good thing to the average Britain, however this will not mean that we will experience hotter, sunnier summers. Instead weather will become increasingly unsettled and summers will be wetter. Overall, there has been about a 0.74°C increase in global temperature over the 20th century. As the volume of greenhouse gases increases yearly, scientists are warning that the global average temperature could increase by as much as 6°C over the next century, which would cause our world to change radically. This does not sound like much, however a 4°C increase could see the oceans rising dramatically which will seriously affect low-lying areas such as London, New York and Tokyo. The purpose of this strategy is to help to formulate a co-ordinated approach across the council and the borough to tackling climate change. This will address both reducing our impact on climate change (by reducing the release of greenhouse gases) and by reducing the effect of climate change (by making changes or adapting to climate change effects). The impacts of climate change for our borough Globally the 0.6°C increase in the Earth’s temperature is causing ice-caps to melt, which is in turn causing sea-levels to rise. Global weather patterns are changing and becoming more extreme and unpredictable. The UKCIP02 projections which are the most accurate predictions of future climate change in the UK and are backed by Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) suggest that the effects of climate change will be most extreme in the south and east of Britain, including London. UKCIP02 have made the following prediction concerning how climate change will affect London by the 2080s: (ref:UKCIP02):

• Winters will be warmer, with a mean temperature increase of 1.5 to 3.5°C. • Summers will be hotter, with a mean temperature increase of 2.5 to over 4.5°C. • ‘Extremely’ warm days will occur more frequently in the summer. • Winter rainfall will increase by up to 30%. • Summer rainfall will decrease by up to 50%, therefore overall annual rainfall will drop

by up to 10%. • Storms and heavier rainfall are expected to become more frequent. • Soil moisture content will be reduced in spring, summer and autumn. • Snowfall will be significantly reduced. • Sea-level will rise, with the greatest changes in the south (the Thames Estuary is

currently rising by 6mm/year (ref:London Plan doc).

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All of these changes will increase the likelihood of ‘extreme weather’ impacts, including flooding, water shortages, heatwaves and reduced air quality. If left unchecked, climate change will have profound impacts on our societies and way of life, affecting agriculture and food security, leading to water shortages, triggering population movements and impacting on our economies, and our security. So action is needed now. The UK Government has already taken significant steps to meet this challenge, including innovative policies, such as the Climate Change Levy and agreements, Renewables Obligation and Energy Efficiency Commitment. The UK Government is also currently developing the first national Climate Change Bill. Barking and Dagenham carbon dioxide emissions The Government have published data on carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by sector for each region in the UK. The latest figures show that Barking and Dagenham emitted a total of 928 kilo tonnes of carbon dioxide in 2005 – that is about equivalent to about 5.7 tonnes per resident. To put this in context, the average home in the UK produces 6 tonnes of CO2 a year. Locally the main sources of carbon dioxide emissions by sector are:

Kilo-tonnes of carbon:

Industrial & Commercial

Domestic Road Transport

Land use changes

Total Per capita (in tonnes)

Domestic per capita (in tonnes)

Barking & Dagenham

333 353 241 1 928 5.5 2.0

Greater London

16520 20999 12044 52 49615 6.9 2.3

Policy background There are a number of policies (national, regional and local) that are encouraging local authorities to address climate change mitigation and adaptation. The main policy driver is the of new national performance indicators that address climate change mitigation and adaptation. National Indicators are used to assess the performance of local authorities. These are:

• NI 185 – CO2 reduction from Local Authority operations; • NI 186 – Per capita reduction in CO2 emissions in the Local Authority; • NI 187 – tackling fuel poverty - % of people receiving income based benefits living in

homes with a low energy efficiency rating; • NI 188 – Adapting to climate change. • NI 194 – % reduction in NOx and primary PM10 emissions (air quality) through local

authority’s estate and operations.

PPS 1 - Planning Policy Statement on Climate Change, puts climate change at the heart of the planning system by ensuring that new communities are located and designed in a way which reduces the need to travel and makes best use of low carbon and renewable energy.

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Layout The report is split into three main sections; some of these sections have been divided into subsections. The report is split under the following headings:

• Mitigation & Adaptation • Council buildings • Homes • Local business • Transport • Sustainable heat and power • Low carbon regeneration • Waste • Sustainable Procurement

• Adaptation

• Flooding • Water shortages • Overheating • Reduce air quality

• Barriers

• Monitoring and implementation

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2 Tackling climate change – climate change mitigation Mitigation As a Borough, we produce large amounts of harmful greenhouse gas emissions from a number of sources, including energy use in our buildings, industry and transportation, as well as other activities, such as through the production and management of waste and wasteful use of water. In 2005 the Council produced the first strategy that tackled climate change in terms of implementing sustainable energy use. This was called “Delivering a low carbon borough: A sustainable energy strategy for Barking and Dagenham” (2005), see http://www.barking-dagenham.gov.uk/6-living/envir-protect/pdf/energy-strategy-full.pdf for more details. This assessed energy use and identified options to reduce energy use, the ideas and concepts from this strategy will be incorporated into this new Climate Change Strategy. The policies and actions set out in the 2005 report have been reviewed and revised and can be found in Appendix ?. Council activity In 2001 we signed up to the Nottingham Climate Change Declaration on climate change, which is a public aggreement agreeing to reduce the energy that we waste and to reduce harmful greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide (CO2) released into the atmosphere as a result. Council services including all council owned buildings, street lighting and vehicle fleet represent a large user of energy and produced 27,500 tonnes of CO2 emissions in 2007 (reference Carbon Management project). Council buildings, including schools, are responsible for the majority of the Council’s energy consumption and carbon dioxide emissions. Existing actions to tackle climate change in council activity:

• In 2006, Barking and Dagenham Council developed its Carbon Management Programme, with the Carbon Trust, to help identify opportunities to reduce energy use and wastage across Council activity. Under a business as usual scenario, CO2 emissions would increase to over 29,000 tonnes per year by 2014. Targets have been set to reduce emissions by 20%, or 6,000 tonnes, over the next three years by reducing energy consumption in buildings, and street lighting, a Green Travel Plan for Council staff and ‘greening’ the Council’s vehicle fleet. A budget of £1.45 million has been set a side to implement this, which includes Salix funding.

• The Council is committed to the Government’s long term target of a 60% reduction in

carbon emissions by 2050. This commitment is demonstrated by the fact that the Council have made National Indicator (NI) 185 part of its Local Area Agreement. Local authorities are now assessed and monitored through the new Performance Framework. NI 185 measures all CO2 emissions from the delivery of local authority functions, and is part of a new set of indicators that has for the first time focused on climate change.

• The Council has a number of ‘green’ buildings, such as the Millennium Centre in

Eastbrookend Country Park, which was opened in November 1997. This building is as energy efficient as possible both in construction and in use, and includes passive cooling, a wind turbine, a south-facing roof made of recycled aluminium and solar panels, as well as an underground reservoir, which collects rainwater from the roof to water the surrounding plants. Many innovative techniques were used in the construction of the building.

• The Council are currently developing a new ‘green’ contract for Council fleet, with

the guidance of the Energy Saving Trust (EST). The aim is to help lower running cost, reduce environmental impacts and enhance corporate social responsibility.

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• Barking and Dagenham’s Green Champions scheme is made up of Council employees who wish to make a difference to the environment during their day-to-day work. The Champions promote environmental good practice in the workplace. The Green Office Guide will is used to help implement this. To see a copy of this, please refer to: http://www.barking-dagenham.gov.uk/6-living/envir-protect/envir-sustainability/pdf/green-office-guide.pdf

• Under the new EU Energy performance of Buildings Directive the Council will now

have to monitor its energy use in buildings. A publicly available certificate must be displayed called a Display Energy Certificate (DECs). This will increase the incentive to make council owned buildings as energy efficient as possible.

• All of the electricity used to power the borough’s street lighting is powered by green

electricity, which means electricity derived from renewable sources such as wind, wave, tide, biomass and solar PV, this has a lower impact on the environment and climate change than electricity produced by traditional power stations.

Borough Homes Homes represent the largest user of energy in the borough with the majority of this energy used on space heating. Homes account for over 30% of total greenhouse gas emissions (ref:2005 strategy). Therefore improving building insulation and heating systems in the boroughs homes makes up the majority of reducing heat demand and helping to make homes warmer and cheaper to heat, therefore helping to tackle fuel poverty. The Council is working hard to tackle these issues, for example:

• The Council’s Local Development Framework (LDF) has set high environmental targets for new builds, that go beyond Building Regulations. For example, all major developments in the Strategic Housing Regeneration Sites (Barking Town Centre, Barking Riverside and South Dagenham) will be expected to meet 32% reduction in carbon emissions beyond Building Regulations 2006 (Part L). This includes 10% from on-site electricty generating reneweable energy and 22% by connecting to the community heating network. This has also set that homes built as part of a strategic development should meet the Code for Sustainable Homes level 4-5; homes part of a major development should be Code level 3-4 and homes part of a minor development are encouraged to be Code level 3.

• The Council uses grant-funding to help tackle fuel poverty and improve energy efficiency in the borough’s homes, including Warm Front (for privately owned homes) and Warm Zones (for Council tenants).

• Energy Saving Trust is an organisation grant-funded by Defra to promote sustainable and efficient use of energy within the home. The Council is working with them on several projects, such as the Key Account Management (KAM) Programme.

• The Energy Efficiency Commitment (EEC) is a statutory obligation for energy suppliers to promote energy efficiency measures for households. The Council works with energy suppliers to implement these measures, for example distributing free low energy light bulbs.

International, national and regional legislation and activity targeted at tackling climate change in homes:

• The Home Energy Conservation Act (HECA) was amongst the first pieces of national legislation that set targets to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from homes through improving energy efficiency.

• New National Indicators on climate change. • The Mayor’s Green Home Programme is a new initiative to deliver carbon dioxide

savings from the domestic sector in London. • Standard Assessment Procedure or SAP - is a calculation of a building’s energy and

is used for Display Energy Certificates and for Home Information Packs (HIPs).

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• Home Information Packs or HIPs is for the buyers and sellers of homes and provides an estimate of energy use and costs of maintaining a home.

• The Code for Sustainable Homes, or the Code is the new national standard for the sustainable design and construction of new homes. This will help stimulate the market for green building as consumers demand more sustainable homes that have lower energy bills and lower impact on the environment. All Government-funded new homes must be built to Code level 3.

• Stamp duty exemption for zero carbon homes. This will act as a further incentive for developers to build zero carbon homes.

• The Government have set a target that all new homes will be zero carbon by 2016, which means that these homes will produce net zero carbon dioxide emissions over the course of a year, that this takes into account all the energy used in the house - for lighting, heating, cooling, cooking, running the TV, and so on, and that low and zero carbon solutions can be developed across a site, not necessarily for each individual home.

Much of this legislation and activities is aimed at new builds, however, it is predicted that 85 per cent of today’s homes will still be in use by 2050, therefore it will be difficult for the UK to reach its long range targets to reduce carbon emissions, by concentrating on new builds alone. Therefore, the Council has decided that a more holistic approach must be taken whereby both new and existing builds are targeted.

Schools England's schools produce 9.4m tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions each year (ref: http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2008/jul/16/schools.uk2 ). Heat and power used in school buildings account for 37% of those emissions, while 45% of them come from getting goods and services to and from schools. There are currently four major capital building programmes for schools in England. These include Building Schools for the Future, Academics and One School Pathfinders (OSP) for secondary schools and the Primary Capital Programme for primary schools. Barking and Dagenham have the Building schools for the Future programme for secondary schools and the primary capital programme for primary schools. Building Schools for the Future (BSF) is an ambitious project, which aims for all new school buildings to reduce carbon emissions by 60% compared to 2002 Building Regulations. All new schools, both primary and secondary, should be aiming towards this target, and an additional investment of £50/m2 (around £500k for a typical secondary school) will be available for new schools that use energy efficiency measures and low or zero carbon energy generation. The Government have also set a target that all new schools will be zero carbon by 2016. International, national and regional legislation and activity targeted at tackling climate change in schools include:

• Eco-schools is an award scheme set up by the Government in England, which wants

every school to be a sustainable school by 2020. The Council has a fully trained member of staff to conduct Eco-schools.

• Phase 2 of the Low Carbon Buildings Programme (LCBP2) is underway and from 1st April 2008, organisations have been able to apply for 50% of the cost for installing approved microgeneration technologies. Grants for the installation of microgeneration technologies are available to public sector buildings (including schools, hospitals, housing associations and local authorities) and charitable bodies.

• The London Schools Environment Award scheme now has 28 London's Boroughs participating, including Barking and Dagenham. Participating schools submit an entry pack that includes evidence such as examples of students’ work, recordings of interviews with pupils/parents, photographs, etc.

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• The Council requires a BREEAM (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method) Excellent rating for all new schools being granted planning permission.

• The Tree Schools Project, in London, aims to develop a lesson and classroom in the open air, surrounded by trees where pupils can become more aware of the environment in an enjoyable way.

• Fairtrade Schools is a scheme for young people and adults working together to achieve Fairtrade Schools status.

• An education centre for schools at the Jenkins Lane Reuse and Recycling Centre has been opened, which houses the borough’s waste processing and recycling facilities. Children from Barking & Dagenham can learn about reduce, reuse and recycle and the benefits to climate change of diverting waste from landfill.

Delivering low carbon businesses In 2005 business activity accounted for approximately 438,389 tonnes eCO2 per year or 38% of the borough’s greenhouse gas emissions. This includes the energy consumption of industrial processes and for the heating, cooling and powering of office and retail premises (ref: 2005 strategy). Barking and Dagenham has a more substantial industrial sector than most other London boroughs and the country as a whole. The council is working hard to raise awareness of sustainability, to encourage and influence the adoption of best practice and to provide advice and assistance to local businesses for the benefit of the environment and the wider community. International, national and regional legislation and activity targeted at tackling climate change in businesses, include:

• NetRegs provides free environmental guidance for small and medium-sized businesses. They provide guidance on how to comply with environmental legislation and protect the environment.

• The Carbon Trust works with large and small & medium sized business to identify carbon emissions (including establishing carbon footprint) and finding ways of cutting them (including the knowledge, resource, funding and interest free loans to do so).

• The Green Mark scheme enables businesses to improve their environmental performance and gain recognition for doing so. So far, over 150 businesses across London have gained a Green Mark. The Council supports and promotes this schemes to our local businesses.

The Council will also continue to encourage environmental businesses and Dagenham Dock Sustainable Park. The council in partnership with the London Development Agency has developed a vision for Dagenham Dock as a Sustainable Industrial Park. The aim is to adopt a more sustainable approach to development and to dispel the myth that the environmental business sector is unattractive and hinders regeneration.

Progressing sustainable heat and power Overall, the UK is still progressing slowly in terms of producing sustainable heat and power, with renewable energy making up 2% of the UK’s energy, despite targets to reach 15% by 2020 (ref: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7393918.stm). The Council have been working hard to encourage the installation and use of sustainable heat and power, for example:

• Barking Town Centre Energy Action Area – this is one of four demonstration town centres, with the aim of showing other local authority how to work with developers of new developments to influence them to produce low carbon developments, by setting targets for carbon reduction. All new developments in the Town Centre must reach a 32% reduction in carbon dioxide emissions, through renewables and require them to be compatible with a town centre wide combined heat and power system.

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• Biomass Study – the Council are currently undertaking a feasibility study to assess whether we can not only install biomass boilers in the borough but provide our own fuel source for this.

• The Council is an active member of the London Energy Partnership (LEP) and is

represented on two of its tasks groups – ‘Energy Action Area’ and 'Combined Heat and Power and Community Heating'.

International, national and regional legislation and activity targeted at tackling climate change in businesses, include:

• Renewable Energy Strategy has set a target for the UK has been set at 15% by 2020 (50% from electricity, 40% from heating and 10% from transport), which will mean a ten fold increase from now. Since 2002, there has been a three fold increase. BERR have estimated that this will cost £5-6 billion per annum and will mean about 4000 new onshore wind turbines along. They estimate that this will have huge benefits, including carbon saving of 20 MtCo2 in 2020 (or 5%); security of supply (with 10% reduction in fossil fuel consumption); business benefits (160,000 jobs).

• The Renewable Obligation Certificates is the main support scheme for renewable electricity projects in the UK. It places an obligation on UK suppliers of electricity to source an increasing proportion of their electricity from renewable sources.

Climate Aware Regeneration Barking and Dagenham prides itself on its approach to low carbon and climate change aware regeneration, and this has recently been recognised when the Council were awarded a Beacon Award for Tackling Climate Change, due to our approach of dealing with climate change in the built environment. It is the Council’s ambition that all its regeneration will be low carbon and with over 25,000 new homes being built for 60,000 more people and major social and public transport infrastructure developed in the next 15 years, this is a significant challenge. Council projects to help this include:

• Planning Advice Note 5 (PAN): Sustainable Design and Construction - To make sure our planners and communities clearly understand what we expect, we have produced innovative, award winning planning guidance on sustainable design and construction standards, covering renewables, green roofs and the reuse of materials.

• Planning Advice Note 1 (PAN): Green Roofs - Our planning advice note on green roofs provides developers and their design/ architectural teams with specific guidance on installing green roofs, including advice on choosing the right type of green roof, costs and maintenance issues.

• We are also developing a planning advice note on flooding which will look at ways in which existing and new development can minimise the risk of flooding. It will also deal with flood resilience measures new development should include in its design.

• We are also working with BRE to develop a toolkit to aid planners and developers in the masterplanning stage to make new developments more sustainable overall, this will be called BREEAM Communities.

• The regeneration strategy 2007-12 ‘Prosperity, People and Places’ (2007) sets out how the Council will tackle regeneration challenges over the next decade. Through strategic planning the new developments are pushing the boundaries of energy efficiency and climate change mitigation best practice in regeneration.

• Local Development Framework (LDF) – Through the replacement of the Unitary Development Plan (which was adopted in 1995) with the Local Development Framework, we are strengthening our environmental policies. The aim is that new development in the borough is both adapted to climatic changes and minimises emissions of carbon dioxide in the longer term.

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• Parks and Open Spaces Strategy – this sets out how the Council will increase the amount and quality of the borough’s green and open spaces, to help encourage biodiversity, improve air quality and provide attractive amenity space.

The Council will continue to support and wherever feasible, use and encourage developers to use innovative and new technologies and measures that aim to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. For example, the carbon capture and storage technique Calera, which helps reduce the CO2 emissions of producing cement, which is the third largest source of greenhouse gas pollution in the U.S., according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Producing one ton of cement will result in the emission of roughly one ton of CO2, while the Calera process of making calcium carbonate cement would help reduce CO2 emissions, to about half. The Calera process essentially mimics marine cement, which is produced by coral when making their shells and reefs, taking the calcium and magnesium in seawater and using it to form carbonates at normal temperatures and pressures. Transport Nationally, carbon dioxide emissions from transport increased by 4.5% from 1990 to 2000 and under business as usual would further increase by 15.5% during the next ten years. The majority of this growth is from road traffic and this remains the focus of initiatives to reduce CO2 emissions. International, national and regional legislation and activity targeted at tackling climate change in transport, include:

• The Local Implementation Plan (LIP) is the Council’s five-year local transport plan for 2006-11, and this aims to cut carbon emissions by reducing car travel and improving the local transport system.

• Policy CR5: Sustainable Transport in the Local Development Framework (LDF), the Council will encourage sustainable transport opportunities as part of new developments by addressing issues related to reducing the need to travel, the reliance on motor vehicles, car parking and the movement of freight.

• The Councils staff travel plan proposes greater use of alternatives to car travel for staff on Council business and getting to and from work.

• Walking Buses is part of the Green Travel Plan, to encourage children to walk to school.

• Big Walk is a project where pupils from Barking and Dagenham walk from one school to their nearest other school with a charter for the head teacher to sign. This pledges the school’s commitment to addressing climate change through the development and implementation of a School Travel Plan by 2009. In return for participating, each school receives 30 native trees or hedgerow plants free to develop or create a wildlife garden.

• The Council are proposing to create a 104km network of tree-lined streets across the borough, linked to off road walking and cycling routes. This will provide a pleasant environment that is shaded in summer and help reduce air pollution by intercepting particulate matter and acting as a ‘carbon sink’.

• East London Transit will make travelling around the borough and the surrounding area easier with this new bus system. The buses used will be fully accessible and environmentally friendly.

• Bike It is a ground-breaking project which has already quadrupled the number of children cycling.

• Nottingham Council was the first council to introduce a Workplace Parking Levy, which is a charge made to council employers for using council parking spaces. This is meant to encourage and support employers to look at alternative ways to travel to and from work.

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Waste The way that we deal with waste has a direct impact on the environment and climate change. The Council is committed to tackling climate change through appropriate waste management, including:

• Reducing the amount of waste we produce. • Reusing helps to eliminate the need to produce energy-intensive products. • Recycling and composting waste helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

These measures help to reduce the amount of waste going to landfill. The landfill of waste releases large amount of methane gas (one of the most potent greenhouse gases), for example in 2003 landfill made up 22% of the UK’s methane gas. Degrading waste, especially biodegradable waste (such as food and garden waste) inside a landfill produces large amounts of greenhouse gases; the waste is forced to break down anaerobically, since no oxygen is present. This produces large amounts of methane and carbon dioxide. Composting biodegradable waste produces much lower levels of methane, since oxygen is present. Therefore the best way to reduce the production of greenhouse gases from waste management is by increasing composting and recycling levels. This is supported by the EU Landfill Directive. Pre-treating waste prior to disposal also helps to break down the biodegradable element of waste and hence reduces the amount of greenhouse gases produced. Council activities to reduce the impact of waste management on climate change:

• Waste Strategy (2006) - In order to reduce the amount of waste sent to landfill sites, the council developed the Waste Strategy (2006). One main aim is to achieve 30% recycling and composting rates by 2008/09, which is higher than Government’s targets. The borough is already amongst the most improved in London for waste management and currently has a recycling rate of 22%, due to a combination of awareness-raising campaigns and increased kerbside collection of recyclables. Under the East London Waste Authority (ELWA) Barking and Dagenham have partnered with Shanks Waste Management Limited to deal with the boroughs waste. There are now two new Mechanical Biological Treatment (MBT) or ‘Bio-MRF’ processing plants which help extract useful resources from waste as well as three new Materials Recycling Facilities (MRF’s) (for the processing of orange bags, general wastes and kerbside collected materials).

• Junk Mail Preference service - helps residents reduce waste, by encouraging them to register with the mailing preference service to reduce junk mail being received.

• Marks Gate Kitchen Waste Composting Project, provides residents in 1,000 flats at Mark’s Gate with a weekly doorstep food waste collection service, this waste is composted in a composting centre, located in five refurbished derelict garages on site. The compost is then given back to residents. The project diverts around 200 tonnes of waste annually from landfill and reduces associated carbon dioxide and methane emissions from degrading waste, plus the transportation of the waste. This initiative has won the silver Green Apple Award.

• Policy CR 4: Minerals and Sustainable Waste Management of the Local Development Framework (LDF), supports sustainable waste management.

Sustainable procurement Green procurement is environmentally responsible purchasing and involves integrating environmental considerations into all stages of the purchasing process. Green products are made or operate in a way that:

• uses fewer natural resources • contains fewer hazardous or toxic materials • has a longer life span • consumes less energy or water in production or use • can be reused or recycled on disposal

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• generates less waste, for example be made from recycled materials, use less packaging or be recycled by the supplier.

The sustainable procurement section of the Green Office Guide gives some guidance on how you can make your purchasing more environmentally and socially responsible.

The Mayor’s Green Procurement Code The Mayor of London's Green Procurement Code is a free support service for London based organisations committed to reducing their environmental impact through responsible purchasing. The programme is supported by £3 million from the London Development Agency and is delivered by London Remade. Barking and Dagenham Council were recently awarded Gold for our effort of sustainable procurement.

e-Learning course on sustainable procurement, this is an online course offered to all council staff, to help guide them through the issues, policies and ways of procuring more sustainably.

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3. Responding to the effects of climate change – Climate change adaptation Climate change adaptation is acting to lessen the risk of climate change effects. A risk assessment of the risks to Barking and Dagenham has been conducted, four main impacts have been addressed (this is not a conclusive list, and the borough may be affected by other impacts, such as increased wind speed), these include flooding, water shortages, overheating and reduced air quality. Flooding The effects of climate change, such as sea level rise, increased rainfall and rainfall intensity and storm frequency means that London and the Thames Gateway is at greater risk from flooding now and in the future. The borough is at risk of flooding from a number of sources including fluvial (river) and tidal (coastal) flooding, groundwater flooding, the surcharging of the underground sewer system, the blockage of drains and surface water flooding. The borough is not only at risk of flooding from the River Thames, but also the River Roding (Barking Creek) and the Beam River. The River Roding is particularly at risk of flooding due to a combination of heavy urbanisation and clay geology in Barking. The map below is taken from the Strategic Flood Risk Assessment (SFRA) for Barking and Dagenham and it shows that a large proportion of the borough (mainly to the south) is in Flood Zone 3a, which means that it is at high probability of flooding (areas subject to flooding every 100 years or a 1% chance of flooding).

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Figure ? The Flood Risk for Barking and Dagenham (Appendix F from the SFRA, 2008). The National Flood Risk Assessment (NaFRA), covers the whole of England and Wales, this uses a risk-based approach to factor in the location, type, condition and effects of flood defences when assessing flood risk. This assessment suggests that overall 1,978 properties across Barking and Dagenham are currently at risk of flooding (i.e. low, moderate and significant risk), 525 of these are at significant risk, whilst the majority (1,392) are at low risk (NaFRA, ). Effects of flooding:

• Effects on the economy and business disruption • Damage to buildings, infrastructure and open spaces. • Increase risk of injury and health risks (including psychological distress). • Building insurance and mortgages may become increasingly expensive and difficult to

obtain in high flood risk areas. • Disruption to transportation. • Environmental impact

The Foresight Future Flooding Report suggests that annual damage from flooding could rise from the present level of £1 billion to about £25 billion in the worst case scenario (Office of Science and Technology (2004) Foresight Future Flooding Report. http://www.foresight/gov.uk/Previous_Projects/Flood_and_Coastal_Defence/Reports_and_Publications/Project_Outputs/Outputs.htm ). IMAGE TO FOLLOW There are a number of policies and initiatives in place, nationally, regionally and at a borough level to address flood risk, appendix ? is a summary of these. Objective 2: To ensure that all departments consider and implement measures to manage flood risks and ensure service delivery at flood times. Adaptation measures to manage flood risks Flooding will affect everyone in different ways; therefore it will require different action across the borough. The following section will demonstrate how the built environment can be designed to reduce the risk and damage of flooding. Built environment Flooding of buildings can cause major damage to the interior contents and structure of buildings and infrastructure. The new SFRA helps to identify areas across the borough that are at high and medium risk of flooding. In accordance to PPS25 on flood risk the Council requires that all new developments in the high flood risk areas will be required to cause no net increase in runoff, and preferably decrease runoff. IMAGE TO FOLLOW The information boxes below provide basic advice to help lessen the risk of flooding in the built environment.

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Box 1 - Flood proofing buildings (for new and existing builds) There are two broad approaches to protecting a building from flooding, they include: Resistance measures – preventing water entering the building – only suitable for low lying floods, under 1m. Resistance measures include (Three Regions Report, 2008):

• Register with Environment Agency flood alert scheme. • Block all entry points into the building (including all doors (using flood boards), air bricks

(using air brick covers), sinks, toilets and drains (using drainage bungs and one-way valves to prevent sewerage backing up) and gaps around pipes and cables.

• Boundary walls and fencing can be designed to create flood resistant barriers, e.g. solid gates, with weatherproof seals and integral drains.

• Install a ‘sump and pump’ below floorboards, to remove water faster than it can enter the house from below ground.

• Raise door thresholds (without contesting disabled chair access laws). • Prevent water penetrating external walls by re-pointing brickwork, installing waterproof

membranes and applying waterproof renders. IMAGE TO FOLLOW Resilience measures – reduces the time and cost of recovery from a flood, so that if the flood enters a building, recovery is rapid – suitable for higher flood levels over 1m. If the flood level is expected to be over 1 metre it is advised to allow water to enter the building, since it is possible that the water pressure will cause the building to become structurally unstable. Resilience measures include (Three Regions Report, 2008):

• Register with Environment Agency flood alert scheme • Move expensive items above possible water levels, e.g. boilers, service meters and electrical

points (with wiring drops from above), kitchen white goods on a plinth • Replace perishable materials such as floorboards, wooden fittings and gypsum plaster with

concrete, ceramic, plastic or cement alternatives, e.g. replace fibreboard kitchen cabinets with plastic or metal cabinets and replace carpets with vinyl or ceramic tiles

• Turn off gas, water and electricity mains at times of flood • Fit rising hinges so that doors can be easily removed • Use dry-bags to protect soft furnishings • Use water-resistant paint for the lower portions of internal walls • Install flood alarm • Roof and local drainage systems need to be adapted to cope with increase in rainfall, such as

increasing the size of guttering and down pipes.

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http://www.floodresilienthome.com/casestudy.asp

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Norwich Union teamed up with Norfolk County Council as part of its Flows Project to install flood resilient alterations to a house that has been flooded a number of times over the last few years, in Lowestoft, Suffolk. The objective was to show what can be done to minimise the effects of flooding, by minimising recovery time. Many of these measures can be incorporated when the building is undergoing planned maintenance or redecoration for little or no extra cost. Useful links:

• “Improving the flood performance of new building: flood resilient constructions” (2007) Defra. • http://www.floodresilienthome.com • http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/subjects/flood/826674/830330/?version=1&lang=_e • http://publications.environment-agency.gov.uk/pdf/FLHO1007BNET-e-e.pdf • http://www.floodforum.org.uk/infoanddownloads/abiflood_resilient_homes.pdf • http://www.defra.gov.uk/environ/fcd/policy/strategy/rf1rf2.htm • Three Regions Report • PAN on designing out flood risk.

Box 2 - External measures – to reduce peak flow and allow floodwater to drain into the ground Sustainable Drainage Systems Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS) offer an alternative approach to managing water runoff from buildings and hard standing (pavements and roads). Traditional drainage systems are designed to drain water as quickly as possible, to prevent flooding locally. However, this can cause flooding further drown stream and wash pollutants from built up areas into water courses, thus harming fish and other wildlife. SuDS seek to minimise these problems by mimicking natural drainage patterns and dealing with the water at the source. There are a variety of techniques that follow the principles of SuDS, these include:

• Preventative measures such as rainwater harvesting (water butts and storage tanks) and green roofs.

• Filler strips and swales are vegetated landscape features, with a gentle downhill gradient to drain water from impermeable surfaces

• Infiltration devices drain water directly into the ground e.g. soakaways • Permeable and porous pavements is paving that allows water infiltration • Reed beds. • Ponds and balance pools can hold water when it rains and can provide benefits in

terms of a habitat for wildlife and providing an attractive feature. IMAGE TO FOLLOW For more information, please go to:

• http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/business/444304/502508/464710/?version=1&lang=_e

• http://www.ciria.org.uk/suds/ According to BR5: Water Management in the Council’s LDF, Sustainable Drainage Systems (SUDS) will be required for all major development in flood zone 1, and for both major and minor development in flood zones 2 and 3 where Flood Risk Assessments will also be required. Green roofs Green roofs are vegetated roofs, where plants can grow. There are two main types of green

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roof – intensive and extensive. Green roofs are beneficial for a number of reasons, for example they help:

• reduce the amount of surface water running off the roof and so reduce the risk of localised flooding

• reduce the urban heat island effect by reducing building heat loss and increasing evapotranspiration.

• reduce energy consumption and fuel costs, since green roofs provide cooling in the summer and thermal insulation in the winter.

• provide a habitat (home) for wildlife • reduce air pollution.

Links:

• London Borough of Barking and Dagenham Planning Advice Note (PAN) 1 – Green Roofs http://www.lbbd.gov.uk/8-leisure-envir/planning/pdf/green-roof-part-1.pdf

IMAGE TO FOLLOW Flooding has the potential to cause major disruption to much of borough’s infrastructure, for example flooded roads and bridges can become unstable, and disruption to the collection of waste, or disruption at waste management facilities such as landfill sites. The following links provide more information:

• ‘Climate change and London’s transport system’ (2005) GLA, available at: http://www.london.gov.uk/climatechangepartnership/docs/climatetransportsept05.pdf

• “The changing climate: its impact on the Department for Transport” (2004) Department for Transport, available at: http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/scienceresearch/key/thechangingclimateitsimpacto1909

• “The impacts of climate change on highway maintenance” TRL (Transport Research Laboratory) and DfT (Department for Transport).

Fact: did you know that southern England is actually sinking, whilst northern Britain is rising. This makes the rise of flooding greater for those in southern England. London and the Thames Gateway are sinking by about 1-2mm a year; meanwhile water levels are rising by about 6mm a year. The combined effect is a sea-level rise of 2-3mm a year with respect to land (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/6231334.stm ).

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Water Shortages Water shortages are becoming increasingly common across much of London and the south-east, and climate change is intensifying this problem, since summers are set to get hotter and drier. The population of Barking and Dagenham is increasing therefore consideration will be needed to ensure that these developments do not intensify water shortages. Demand for water could outstrip supply by 6-10% by the end of the decade (http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article538443.ece “Save Water: don’t flush, say Livingstone” 2005). Effects of water shortages:

• Increase in hosepipe bans – during the summer of 2006, London suffered its worst drought in 70 years, which led to a hosepipe ban for all London householders and businesses.

• Poor water quality – as water supplies decrease and water temperature increases, water quality deteriorates, which affects supplies of drinking water.

There are already a number of policies and initiatives in place, nationally, regionally and at a borough level to address water shortages, appendix ? is a summary of these. Objective 3: To ensure that all departments consider and implement measures to manage water resource risks. The aim to reduce the use of mains water in buildings. Adaptation measures to manage water resources Water shortages would affect most people and activities in this borough. One of the main ways to deal with water shortages is to try and decrease the demand for it. Buildings represent one of the main users of water. Box 3 - Improve efficient use of water Rainwater harvesting systems capture and divert rainwater. Rainwater can be collected in a water butt/barrel and used to water gardens and wash cars. More advanced systems use storage tanks, placed on roofs or underground to collect rainwater and use it for all non-potable (none drinking) use, including in toilets and washing machines. Three main benefits of rainwater harvesting are:

• Reducing the risk of water shortages; • Reducing demand for mains water, reduces the associated processing energy and

environmental costs; and • Helps to reduce the risk of flooding during storms, by storing and buffering run-off

before it reaches the drainage system.

IMAGE TO FOLLOW Grey water recycling is when used domestic water from baths, showers and washbasins is re-used for toilet flushing. The used water is filtered and disinfected. This also helps to reduce demand for mains water. IMAGE TO FOLLOW Reducing water use by (Three Regions Report, 2008):

• Using a low flow shower or shower head • Using a ‘peanut-shaped’ bath provides more space for bathing yet it requires less

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water to fill, therefore it uses less water. • Insulating the bath using normal insulation reduces the need for regular topping up

with hot water. • Replacing the toilet with an ultra low flush alternative (reduces water use from 9l to

4.5l per flush). • Using a cistern displacement device e.g. a ‘water hippo’ (which are free from water

companies). • Using low flow bathroom taps. • Using low flow kitchen tap adaptors. • Using a water-efficient dishwasher. • Using a water-efficient washing machine. • Repairing dripping taps can save 90 litres of water a week.

Many of these measures present low-cost solutions to reducing water demand especially when included as part of planned refurbishment of a building. Although the cost saving for reducing cold water use can be relatively low (since the proportion of homes do not have water meters), the energy and cost savings from reducing hot water use can be significant. For example, by switching to a low-flow shower head 22 litres of hot water can be saved, per person per day, reducing energy consumption by 281kWh per year and so typically saving £25.83 per person per year (ref: 3 regions report). http://www.wpl.co.uk/rainbrain.php for schools look at this link!! http://www.waterwise.org.uk/reducing_water_wastage_in_the_uk/house_and_garden/saving_water_at_home.html this is a comprehensive guide to some of the water saving appliances that are available. According to BR5: Water Management of the LDF, the Council expects new developments to take appropriate measures to reduce, reuse and recycle water, including water reduce, reuse and recycling technologies. For more information: http://www.lbbd.gov.uk/8-leisure-envir/planning/local-dev-framework/pdf/borough-wide/borough-wide-full-report.pdf Is water neutrality possible? A recent report has assessed whether it is possible to make the Thames Gateway water neutral. Water neutral being a state where the total water used after re-development is equal to, or less than the total water use in the area before the development. The Thames Gateway is currently undergoing phenomenal growth in the amount of housing, and is in an already water stressed area. The study concluded that it was ‘technically feasible’ to move towards water neutrality in the Gateway by 2016, by:

• Building new homes to a higher standard of water efficiency; • Improving the water efficiency of existing homes through retrofitting of

water saving appliances; • Metering of new and existing properties; • Introducing variable tariffs; and • Improving water efficiency of non households.

Environment Agency (2007) Towards Water Neutrality in the Thames Gateway Biodiversity/ grounds maintenance It is expected that in the future hosepipe bans will become more common. This will affect households, grounds maintenance regimes and local businesses, such as garden centres. Adaptation measures include:

• Water retaining granules in hanging baskets;

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• Water plants in the cool of the day, to prevent evapotranspiration; • Plant drought tolerant plants; • Install water butts to water vegetation.

IMAGE TO FOLLOW Fact: If everyone in the UK turned off the tap while brushing their teeth, enough water would be saved to supply the whole of Scotland (Source: Waterwise) Useful advice:

• Waterwise http://www.waterwise.org.uk/ • http://www.eswater.co.uk/ • Royal Horticultural Society http://www.rhs.org.uk/index.htm

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Overheating British summers have become increasingly warmer over the last three decades, and nine out of the ten warmest years in the last 350 years have occurred from 1988 (Central England Temperature Record http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/research/hadleycentre/CR_data/Daily/HadCET_act.txt ). Summer heat waves are becoming increasingly common and intense and will intensified in Barking and Dagenham by the urban heat island effect. See Box ? for more information. The potential effects of temperature increases

• Transportation disruptions • Health impacts such as lack of sleep, loss of productivity, heat exhaustion and even

death, See box ? • Increase use of air-conditioning, which can increase the surrounding temperature and

noise, effectively make the problem worse. It also produces very high levels of harmful CO2 emissions, thus contributing further to climate change.

• Increase in damp, mild summers will have implications for environmental health, for example there could be an increase in the flea population which can effect humans.

• Risk of subsidence and heave (which both cause buildings and roads to become unstable, due to ground movement) are said to worsen under climate change, i.e. drier summers and wetter winters.

Of all the effects of climate change, increased temperature is having the greatest impact, in terms of death (Three Regions Report, 2008). The heat wave in 2003 had a significant effect on people across London, especially the elderly. There were approximately 600 extra deaths in London due to the heat (London Urban Heat Island: A summary for decision makers. Greater London Authority. October 2006). The effects of the heatwave were also felt across Europe, where 45,000 people died (JM Robine, SL Cheung, S Le Roy, H Van Oyen and F R Hermann (2007) Report on excess mortality in Europe during summer 2003 http://ec.europa.eu/health/ph_projects/2005/action1/docs/action1_2005_a2_15_en.pdf ) It is believed that no heat wave in global history has produced so many documented deaths. Those most at risk to heat stress, dehydration and heat-related mortality are the elderly, young and those with certain health conditions. The Urban Heat Island (UHI) Effect The urban heat island effect (UHI) is a process that describes the increase of urban temperatures caused by dark urban land surfaces absorbing and trapping more heat than rural areas. This is because cities have a greater area of buildings and dark pavements than rural areas, and these buildings and pavements absorb heat. This means that cities remain noticeably warmer; this is especially felt on calm, clear summer nights, which can be as much as 5-6°C hotter. London is therefore vulnerable to increasing temperatures since during heatwaves the UHI effect prevents the urban areas from cooling down. During the 2003 summer heatwave, differences between city and rural temperatures for London were up to 10°C (Greater London Authority (October 2006) London’s Urban Heat Island: A Summary for Decision Makers http://www.london.gov.uk/mayor/environment/climate-change/uhi.jsp ). The graph below highlights this difference in temperature and shows that southern parts of the borough (i.e. the more urbanized areas of Barking and Dagenham) do experience the effects of the UHI effect. IMAGE TO FOLLOW

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There are already a number of policies and initiatives in place, nationally, regionally and at a borough level to address overheating, Appendix ? provides a summary of these. Objective 4: To ensure that all departments consider and implement measures to manage heat risks and ensure service delivery at times of prolonged heat waves. Adaptation measures to manage the risk of overheating Built environment A major factor that contributed to the deaths during the heatwave of 2003 was the inability of buildings (designed for historic climates), to keep indoor temperatures reasonably cool. Historically, UK homes and buildings have kept cool by opening windows. However, it is apparent that as temperatures rise and become more like today’s Mediterranean climate, this will not be adequate. This is because when the outside temperature is higher than the inside temperature, open windows will draw in hot air, causing the building to heat up. Buildings in Mediterranean countries are designed to keep the internal environment cool during high temperatures. For example, they tend to have small, shuttered windows on south and west facing walls, and are often painted white to reflect heat. Courtyards are designed with vegetation and water features to form a comfortable, cool and shaded environment. IMAGE TO FOLLOW For reasons mentioned above, inappropriate use of air-conditioning units will not be encouraged, instead passive cooling measures will be supported. Passive cooling measures include enhancing natural ventilation and reducing solar gain through the windows and fabric of the building, these will be described further in box ?. Management of Council property As winters become milder and summer become hotter, the energy requirements for a building will change with a lower demand for heating in the winter and higher demand for cooling in the summer. It is therefore important that the Council’s facility managers consider these issues and make appropriate adjustments to building temperature controls, as energy proves increase. Box 4 – Adaptation measures Behavioural changes:

• Switching off unused appliances and using low-energy equipment reduces heat-gain, since electrical appliances produce heat, e.g. energy saving light bulbs. This also reduces energy use which reduces CO2 emissions and energy bills.

• Open windows at night to introduce cool air. However, security issues, noise and poor air quality may prevent this; however window bars like many Mediterranean-style buildings can be installed to increase security.

Building design:

• Prevent the sun’s heat penetrating a building by installing reflecting blinds, awnings, shutters, overhangs or retractable shades.

IMAGE TO FOLLOW

• Reduce heat penetration by installing/improving roof and wall insulation (including green walls and roofs),

• Walls and roofs should be made as reflective as possible, by using light coloured paint (for walls) and coatings (for roofs), to decrease heat penetration.

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• Double glazing, with low-e coatings (which are similar to tinted windows) reduces heat gain in the summer and heat loss in the winter. However, if ventilation is inadequate, this will actually increase overheating.

• Install secondary double glazing behind existing glazing, to create triple glazing with external ventilation of outer cavity.

• Replace carpets with wooden or tiled flooring to expose the cooling effect of the ground.

Natural ventilation Ventilation is vital to provide a healthy and comfortable internal environment by removing polluted indoor air and replacing it with ‘fresh’ outside air and controlling summertime overheating. Alternatives to air-conditioning include:

• Openable windows; • Roof-mounted ‘windcatchers’ to induce air flow. ‘Windcatchers’ work by directing air

in and out of buildings, such as passive stack ventilation (PSV) • If mechanical ventilation (e.g. air-conditioning) is needed low wattage motors with

heat recovery of 80% efficiency (minimum) should be used. It is important that a property is not over-ventilated since this could lead to occupant discomfort and increase the need for heating. Useful links:

• Overheating in dwellings is classed by the CIBSE Guide A (CIBSE 2006 Guide A: Environmental Design http://www.cibse.org/index.cfm?go=publications.view&PubID=1&L1=164 ).

• The Energy Saving Trust 'Energy efficient ventilation in housing - a guide for specifiers on the requirements and options for ventilation' (GPG268) http://www.feta.co.uk/rva/downloads/GPG268%20-%20Energy%20efficient%20ventilation%20in%20dwellings.pdf

A new study by researcher Hashem Akbari of Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, California has demonstrated the affect of painting roofs white. This study suggests that converting 360,000 square miles roofs and pavements (which is less than one per cent of the world’s land surface) into white or light surfaces would have the same effect of delaying climate change by eleven years. This is because white roofs reflect sunlight back into space and so the heat does not heat the earth. When roofs are dark sunlight is not reflected and instead heats the roof and then thermal energy is radiated off the roof back towards space where it is trapped by carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and then absorbed by this greenhouse gas, which in turn increases global temperature. This also has the benefit of reducing demand for air conditioning. For more information, see: http://features.csmonitor.com/innovation/2008/10/03/how-white-roofs-shine-bright-green/ This is an area of work that the council will be investigating more in the future. Major Infrastructure and Services Increasing temperatures and heatwaves can cause disruption to much of our borough’s infrastructure, including transportation, highway maintenance and our waste management services. Transportation systems could be disrupted by rail speed restrictions due to buckled train tracks or heat stress to passengers. However, milder temperatures will mean that icy conditions should become less common, therefore there will be less of a need to salt roads. Climate change may affect waste management services in a number of ways, for example residual waste may decay more rapidly during summer months, and higher summer temperatures and more intense rainfall in winter may affect landfill design and operation. Higher temperatures will decrease the comfort and productivity of outdoor workers, such as waste collectors.

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Health Climate change in general, has the potential to have major impacts on health. The president of the Royal College of Physicians recently warned that climate change could present a bigger threat to health than smoking, alcohol and obesity (“Doctors are urged to fight climate change” Metro January 30th, 2008). The increase in summer temperatures and heat waves will especially affect health, for example, there will be a higher risk of skin cancer, sun burn, and heat stress. However, climate change may also provide benefits to health care, since it is expected that cold-related deaths will decrease as temperatures rise. Biodiversity and grounds maintenance The changing climate will have an effect on natural habitats. For example, the rate of growth and length of growing season of plants will increase. There could also be loss of biodiversity of species of plants and animals. Drier conditions can cause an increase in fire risk in open spaces and parks. …traditional woodlands are facing their biggest upheaval since the last Ice Age as global warming and disease threaten indigenous species that have flourished in Britain for thousands of years….experts have predicted that native trees are likely to retreat from the warmer regions in the south of the country leaving forests dominated by imported species that are better adapted to dealing with dry conditions…some experts believe that the planting of trees that are better adapted for dry conditions ought to be encouraged as the most sensible method of preserving wooded habitats…

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2493606/Traditional-forests-endangered-by-climate-change-and-disease.html According to the Council’s LDF (Policy BR 3: Greening the Urban Environment) the Council expects that all new developments will incorporate and enhance features of existing ecological value. This policy also states that the Council prefer the use of dry gardens or low water use gardens/landscaping. • Barking and Dagenham was one of the first boroughs to produce a parks and green

spaces strategy in 2002 (revised in 2005) to set an action plan to develop more parks and green spaces and promote walking and cycling. The Council allocated £5m for 2005-08 to deliver the strategy. This has resulted in over 13,000 trees planted in the borough, to improve biodiversity and reduce the boroughs carbon emissions.

• Local biodiversity action plan (2005) for the Council highlights the threat of climate change to local wildlife and habitats and seeks to ensure that biodiversity is a key consideration in preparing and assessing development schemes.

For further guidance, refer to:

• GLA’s Building Green – A guide to using plants on roofs, walls and pavements (2004) • Barking and Dagenham’s Green Roofs – Planning Advice Note 1.

Reduced air quality Reduced air quality is a concern as increasing temperatures, and prolonged heat waves (which will become more common under climate change in summer) will increase the likelihood of summer ozone episodes (smog). It has been estimated by Lee (1993) that a 1ºC increase in summer air temperature could cause a 14% increase in surface ozone concentration in London. This is significant and will have consequences for public health. However, winter time pollution episodes (smog), should reduce since below zero

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temperatures and low wind speeds (which are associated with pollution episodes) will become increasingly rare under climate change. Wetter conditions will help to wash aerosols and soluble gases from the atmosphere.

Away from the major roads, the air quality in the borough falls well within the levels recommended by the National Air Quality Strategy. However, along our major roads air quality is poor, therefore an an Air Quality Management Area as been implemented for the area along the A13.

Airborne diseases It has been suggested that climate change could increase the cases of Legionnaires disease, for example in August 2006 a hot July followed by a wetter than normal August is said to have led to record levels of Legionnaires’ disease. Plus the increased use of air-conditioning, due to increased temperatures, could also increase this risk. Effects of reduced air quality:

• Health impacts - ozone and smog exposure can cause irritation and inflammation of airways and increase a person’s susceptibility to respiratory conditions (London’s Urban Heat Island. A summary for decision makers. Greater London Authority. October 2006).

There are already a number of policies and initiatives in place, nationally, regionally and at a borough level to address poor air quality, appendix ? is a summary of these. Objective 5: To ensure that all departments consider and implement measures to manage increased air pollution. Adaptation measures to manage the risk of deteriorating air quality

• Encourage the planting of trees and good quality open spaces. • Encourage measures that reduce harmful emissions including initiatives to encourage

walking, cycling and using public transport. Case Study: The Council are currently working on proposals to incorporate climate change adaptation and river restoration schemes (to provide more biodiversity and flood storage capacity, reduce pollution, and increase the resilience of the lake system and wildlife to climate change) at Mayesbrook Park and at Dagenham Washlands. Meals on Wheels: The local Primary Care Trust currently provides meals on wheels to local residents that require it; as part of this, during times of extreme and prolonged heat waves staff that deliver the meals personally visit each of the recipients, to ensure that they are coping well with the heat and suggesting ways that they can keep cool.

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7 Barriers – factors that prevent action for both mitigation and adaptation to climate change Most people nowadays are aware of the causes and implications of climate change, however due to the complexity of the subject, the level of understanding can be basic. Importantly, we often fail to link global climate change and local impacts, which can prevent us taking appropriate action. This is compounded by the fact that people tend to act on the basis of experience and not hypotheitical events. Although flooding presents a risk to London, since there has been no recent major flood in the London region, Londoners may be mistaken in thinking that London will not have a major flood. In fact, flooding does affect parts of London, for example in Autumn 2000, whilst flood defences successfully prevented flooding for many London properties, the defences on the River Roding at Wanstead and Woodford in Redbridge, were overtopped. As a result 230 properties were flooded. A further 75 properties at Edmonton in Enfield and 15 at Teddinton in Richmond were also flooded. (http://www.london.gov.uk/assembly/reports/environment/flooding.pdf “Flooding in London: A London Assembly Scrutiny Report” November 2002 GLA “London under threat? Flooding risk in the Thames Gateway Environment Committee” October 2005 GLA http://www.london.gov.uk/assembly/reports/environment/flood_thamesg.pdf ) Thus far, much of our attention has focused on climate change mitigation and not adaptation. Plus most Government-backed policy and funding focuses on sustainable design and construction for new builds, and not existing properties. For existing homes, the impetus to, and responsibility for adapting buildings comes largely from the individual householder or landlord. It is not mandatory, nor is it under the control of any government department or agency. The Environment Agency provides publicly available data on flood risk across England and Wales, in the form of flood maps. However, according to the Environment Agency “It is of serious concern that still only one person in ten who is at risk makes any sort of advance preparation for flooding”. This demonstrates that providing people with the information is not necessarily enough, and knowledge does not automatically lead to action.

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8 What’s next? Implementation and monitoring Monitoring and implementation of the strategy Implementation of the strategy will require the support and action of all key departments and stakeholders. When setting measures to tackle climate change, it is vital that a holistic approach is taken to ensure that action in one area does not have unintended consequences elsewhere. The Council will take the lead and work to influence all stakeholders in the borough, in terms of demonstrating best practice in taking measures to both mitigate and adapt to climate change. Implementation The following steps will be undertaken to help implement the aims of the strategy:

• The Council will produce a summary of this strategy which will highlight ways that we can both reduce our impact on climate change and reduce the effects of climate change.

• Signed agreement from key Council departments and external stakeholders to develop individual action plans.

• Effective communication of the key messages from the strategy to key council departments and external stakeholders.

• The Council will work with the borough’s residents to raise awareness of the issues. • The Council will incorporate the climate change strategy into key council documents

and strategies, such as the Local Development Framework (LDF), as well as policy frameworks, and business plans.

• The strategy should be continually updated, in the light of new information and research.

Monitoring

• The Council will undertake annual monitoring of the strategy, using annual progress reports from each department, using a simple spreadsheet with tick boxes. There will be a major review after five years.

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Appendices - Flooding Action Explanation National action/policy Planning Policy Statement on flood risk and development (PPS25)

The aim of this guidance is to ensure that flood risk is taken into account at all stages of the planning process in order to prevent inappropriate development in ‘at risk’ areas. This uses the sequential test, which ensures that lower risk areas are considered preferable to higher risk areas.

Planning Policy Statement: Planning and Climate Change

This will supplement the existing PPS1: Delivering Sustainable Development. This document highlights the issue of climate change, and sets out ways planning should prepare for its effects.

National Flood Emergency Framework (NFEF)

The National Flood Emergency Framework (NFEF) has been set up to provide a forward looking policy framework for flood emergency planning and response. It will bring together information, guidance and key policies, and act as a resource for all involved in emergency planning at national, regional and local levels.

‘Flood Risk to People’ Defra and the Environment Agency produced this guidance to aid in the review of flood hazard within the UK.

London-wide action The London Plan The London Plan is the adopted regional spatial strategy relevant to our

Council. This document includes a number of policies relevant to flood risk, including flood plains, flood defences, sustainable drainage, rising groundwater and climate change.

Supplementary Planning Guidance – Sustainable Design and Construction

Guidance includes: • Identify potential sources of flooding and assessing their

possible impacts both now and in the future • Adopt principles of flood resistant design.

Mayor’s Water Strategy This provides guidance on reducing the risk of flooding in London . Thames Barrier and associated defences (including Barking barrier)

The area that adjoins the River Thames (including Barking and Dagenham) is heavily dependent upon manmade flood defences to protect it from flooding. This provides one of the highest standards of protection in the world to London and the Thames Estuary. Barking barrier also provides a high standard of protection for our borough. These barriers will become less effective as sea-level rises and rainfall becomes more intense. Therefore, further investment will be needed.

Environment Agency’s Thames Estuary 2100 project

This is providing a flood risk management plan for London and the Thames estuary post-2030.

London Borough of Barking and Dagenham action Strategic Flood Risk Assessment (SFRA)

Detail of this can be found in box?page?

Local Development Framework (LDF)

The Local Development Framework (LDF) provides planning policy regarding building on floodplains.

Planning Advice Note (PAN): Flood Risk Mitigation

This PAN looks at ways in which new development can minimise the risk of flooding. This will look at all types of flooding that affect the borough.

Planning Advice Note (PAN) 1: Green Roofs

This provides guidance for planners, developers, architects and facility managers to build green roofs, in terms of what they are, the different types, the benefits, practical advice, cost and maintenance.

Refurbishment of flood-protection structures

Refurbishment of the embankment alongside the River Roding at New England Wharf, Gascoigne Road will ensure the embankment remains operational for another fifty years. It works in tandem with the Barking Barrier to prevent flooding from the River Roding,

Environment Agency review flood risk management of Roding and Beam catchment

The EA is currently reviewing their future strategy for flood risk management within the Roding and Beam catchments.

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Water shortages

Action Explanation National action Water Act 2003 This ensures that all water companies have prepared water

resources plans, which include water efficiency measures. Environment Agency Provides advice notes on water efficient measures. Water Saving Group This has been set up to improve understanding and delivery of

metering. All new homes in England are metered. Code for Sustainable Homes

This has set a water consumption target in residential development of 46m2 per bedspace per year, with extra points won the lower consumption is.

London-wide action Mayor’s Water Strategy This calls for improved planning and co-ordination of all aspects

of water management. Mayor of London Water Resources Group

The Mayor is developing a Water Framework and has established a Water Resources Group.

Mayor’s London Plan This advocates and encourages the increased use of grey water and rainwater harvesting.

Mayor of London Supplementary Planning Guidance – Sustainable Design and Construction for water management

The Mayor has set water consumption targets in residential development for his Preferred Standards at less than 25m2 per bedspace per year and Essential Standards of less than 40m2 per bedspace per year.

London Borough of Barking and Dagenham Planning Advice Notes (PAN) 5: Sustainable Design and Construction

This advocates the use of grey water recycling and rainwater harvesting.

Local Development Framework (LDF)

Is there a target of water consumption???

Overheating

Actions Explanation National-level National Heatwave Plan 2005

This was introduced by the Department of Health. The UK Met Office provides weather forecasts to strategic authorities, primary care trusts and local authorities to take appropriate action.

London-wide action Greater London Authority published ‘London’s Urban Heat Island. A summary for decision makers’ (2006)

This document supports the need for more green roofs and street trees to manage the intensification of the London’s Urban Heat Island.

London Borough of Barking and Dagenham action Planning Advice Note (PAN) 5: Sustainable Design and Construction

This advocates the use of measures to reduce overheating, including passive solar design and green roofs.

Parks and Green Spaces Strategy and the Landscape Development Framework

These action plans supports and promotes tree-planting across the borough.

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Air quality Actions Description National-level National Air Quality Strategy 2000

This sets out Government plans to improve and protect air quality in the UK in the medium-term. Local authorities have to work to achieve these objectives to reduce seven key pollutants.

London-wide action Mayor’s Air Quality Strategy

This sets out policies and proposals to improve air pollution. For example the Mayor recently introduced the Low Emission Zone (LEZ) across the capital. The aim of this is to cut harmful pollution from heavy goods vehicles.

London Air Quality Network (LAQN)

This was formed in 1993 to coordinate and improve air pollution monitoring in London. This network covers 33 London local authorities and provides bulletins on air pollution levels.

London Borough of Barking and Dagenham action Air Quality Action Plan (2004)

The main aim of this Action Plan is to reduce pollution levels by encouraging people to utilise alternative forms of transport such as cycling or public transport.

airTEXT project People who are sensitive to poor air quality, and who live and work in the borough, have been invited to register for a free message service, this advises the recipient when air quality is due to be poor the following day. This will allow the person to take remedial actions, such as avoiding busy, polluted streets, remembering to take medication or increasing their medication dose. This is publicised on the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham website, internal staff bulletin and the citizen magazine.

Awareness raising The Environmental Protection Officers work with the local Police department to randomly stop vehicle to test exhaust emissions whilst the Police check vehicle insurance. Drivers of failed cars were issued with warning letters, which informed them why they had failed the test and what they should do to pass. Vehicles producing high emissions could be wasting fuel, polluting the environment and be hazardous to health.

Strategy for Parks and Green Spaces

This policy was needed because nationally the number of green spaces has decreased significantly over the past twenty years.

Local Biodiversity Action Plan

This sets out the framework to protect the borough’s local wildlife. This Action Plan encourages new developments to include green roofs, green walls, sustainable urban drainage systems, large gardens, open space and high-quality landscaping.

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