Abstract
Recent changes to national planning policies emphasise decentralisation, localism and participatory agendas in a bid to prioritise the 'voice' of local communities in their own governance and development. Core principles of the new National Planning Policy Framework take into account and support local strategies to improve health, social and cultural wellbeing for all, and deliver sufficient community and cultural facilities and services to meet local needs. The framework specifically states that the planning system should play an active role in guiding development to sustainable solutions. However, there are no explicit provisions for the management of water resources. The integration of water considerations into the processes of neighbourhood planning at community, district and regional level will ensure that water efficiency is 'owned' and championed by communities. This chapter explores water efficiency issues at the community scale, primarily along resource resilience themes. By highlighting water as a fundamental issue and concern for the community and its governance, it subsequently discusses where the important considerations for water are situated under 'localism' objectives; as a 'bottom-up', community action process. It concludes that water needs to be considered as an embedded and central part of any community's 'neighbourhood plan' and part of any statutory process to achieve a sustainable community development. This study was commissioned by the Water Efficiency in Buildings Network, funded by DEFRA, UK.
Original language | English |
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Title of host publication | Water Efficiency in Buildings |
Subtitle of host publication | Theory and Practice |
Editors | K. Adeyeye |
Publisher | Wiley-Blackwell |
Pages | 273-285 |
Number of pages | 13 |
ISBN (Electronic) | 9781118456613 |
ISBN (Print) | 9781118456576 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 14 Feb 2014 |
Keywords
- Community empowerment
- Neighbourhood plan
- Resilience
- Water and carbon footprint
- Water policy
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- General Engineering