Green Party manifesto: demolition to require full planning application

The Green Party has presented the opinion that tearing down structures should be subjected to obtaining a complete planning application, except in cases where it is already a part of a local order relating to development.

The party shared a manifesto that spans 46 pages on Wednesday, June 12. According to the manifesto, if the party comes into power after the general election set to hold on July 4, it will make the rules concerning demolition stricter. Additionally, the party took the time to express its objections towards any fresh road projects and promised that it would invest the money intended for those projects into other means of transportation infrastructure.

The political group stated their desire for demolition to be subject to a complete planning application or be included in a local development order before proceeding. A local development order may grant general permission for demolition within a specific zone, as long as certain requirements are met.

At present, certain demolition activities fall under allowed development rules. This is based on various factors such as the dimensions of the building set for demolition, whether it's in an area of preservation, and if there are redevelopment plans for the location.

According to the Green Party's proposal, it is important to take into account materials generated from destroyed structures and find ways to repurpose them. The costs associated with getting rid of construction waste would also be raised to promote the idea of reusing these materials as much as possible. This change would help create a stronger incentive for making use of recycled resources.

The sector which is involved in demolishing buildings has been encouraged for a while to discover substitutes that can minimize the carbon impact that it has.

In June of last year, Mace put out a request asking the construction industry and the government to prioritize retrofitting buildings and give clear reasons for any plans to demolish non-residential structures.

In April of the previous year, Howard Button, the previous principal leader of the National Federation of Demolition Contractors, urged contractors working on demolitions to broaden their retrofit services, acknowledging that there could be a decline in the need for destruction efforts.

In other parts of their manifesto, the Green Party stated the importance of constructing buildings that are "future-proofed". They believe that current homes are being built with outdated gas boilers and not enough insulation, which must be addressed to ensure sustainability for the future.

The political group declared that newly constructed properties and home improvements must meet the necessary requirements to lessen the impact of climate change.

The political group, with only one representative in parliament prior to the election being announced, has advocated for retrofit and has committed to providing a £29 billion grant to help upgrade homes to meet the EPC B standard within the next decade.

The party stated that they plan to allocate a total amount of money towards making homes more energy-efficient. A major portion of this, amounting to £12bn, would specifically be reserved for upgrading social housing. The remaining funds will be distributed in the form of grants to privately owned homes. Moreover, there will be an additional £4bn designated to insulating other types of buildings such as schools and hospitals. The Greens are committed to ensuring that these upgrades are implemented within the same period of time.

The political group restated its promise from 2015 to resist any additional schemes for constructing roads. Rather than this, the party plans to allocate funds that were specifically intended for big road schemes, into a fund of £19bn. This fund will be utilized to finance the development of widespread electrification and enhance the standard of public transportation.

The article also supports putting a stop to any projects that aim to expand airports. Rather, they promise to provide funds for improving the abilities and knowledge of aviation and airport employees in order to transition them to other fulfilling occupations as the demand for flight decreases.

The Greens have announced that they plan to allocate £30 billion towards advancing research and development in order to combat the climate crisis. Sectors such as carbon neutral construction and energy storage would benefit from this financial support.

The political group is aiming to strengthen the Prompt Payment Code by turning it into a legal requirement and preventing tardy payers from obtaining contracts for public procurement. Additionally, the Small Business Commissioner will be tasked to conduct proactive investigations into timely payment.