All applications for new builds and conversions within Brighton and Hove will need to be accompanied by a sustainability checklist from 13 July, the city council has announced.

A 19-point checklist will now be mandatory for developers and planning applicants, which will assess the sustainability of the project. It is the first time a council will ask developers for information relating to embodied carbon of materials, as well as the energy used to complete the project.

The Green Party-controlled council said the new checklist would allow the council to assess the impact of building schemes. Francesca Illife, Brighton and Hove Council’s sustainability officer said: “This means we will be able to see how effective we are and where we may have to push harder. We may need to develop policy or we could find local architects are doing very well on sustainability issues.”

John Slaughter, director of external affairs at the Home Builders Federation, voiced concerns that the move could inhibit future developments. He said: “The risk is this will lead to a disproportionately prescriptive planning policy, which could be a disincentive to new development,” adding it was unreasonable for developers to account for embodied energy in the supply chain, as this is an element beyond their control.

http://brighton-hove.sustainabilitychecklist.co.uk/