Support

Representation ID: 10511

Received: 29/07/2022

Respondent: National Highways

Climate Change
National Highways welcomes inclusion of specific polices within the local plan to address the issues of climate change and notes that following declaring a climate
emergency in March 2019, the Council has pledged to make its own operations carbon neutral by 2030. As part of their strategy the Council has pledged to incorporate the carbon neutral ambition into all Council strategies, including the Local Plan 2040.
This is translated into Policy DS1(S) Resources and climate change where it sets out how a move to carbon neutrality is to be achieved. In respect to the spatial strategy,
Policy DS2(S) Spatial strategy looks to achieving delivery sustainable development and working towards making Bedford a net zero carbon emissions borough.
National Highways is committed to contributing to governments target of achieving Net Zero by 2050, delivering Department of Transport’s De-Carbonisation Plan, as set out in our Net Zero Highways: our 2030 / 2040 / 2050 plan. In particular we aim by 2040 to have in place Net zero for maintenance and construction works. This aligns with Committee on Climate Change’s call for the construction industry to be largely decarbonised by 2040.
The Local Plan’s spatial strategy is significant with targets aimed to delivering up to 1700 dwellings per annum, associated employment sites and transport interventions.
Given the level of proposed construction and noting that any interventions on the Strategic Road Network will need to be close to achieving Net-Zero, it is suggested
that these policies are revisited with a change of focus from achieving carbon neutrality goals to net-zero wherever possible by 2040.