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Page 1: Environmental sustainability Strategy · heritage buildings and structures means that, where practicable, these can be refurbished and re-used as part of the development. King’s
Page 2: Environmental sustainability Strategy · heritage buildings and structures means that, where practicable, these can be refurbished and re-used as part of the development. King’s
Page 3: Environmental sustainability Strategy · heritage buildings and structures means that, where practicable, these can be refurbished and re-used as part of the development. King’s

Contents

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Executive Summary ...................................................................................................................................... iii

1. Introduction and Context ............................................................................................................................. 1

2. Energy .......................................................................................................................................................... 11

3. Waste ............................................................................................................................................................ 21

4. Water Supply and Surface Water Disposal ............................................................................................... 27

5. Construction Materials ............................................................................................................................... 33

6. Implementation of the Strategy ................................................................................................................ 39

References .................................................................................................................................................... 41

Figures

Figure 2.1 Benchmark Escalator: Improving with Time ................................................................................. 15

Tables

Table 2.1 Carbon Emission Targets ............................................................................................................. 16

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ii King’s Cross Central

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Executive SummaryIntroduction and ContextThis Environmental Sustainability Strategy explains howArgent St George, London and Continental Railways andExel (the Applicants for the King’s Cross Centraldevelopment), would explore and address theenvironmental and natural resource issues which formone aspect of sustainable development, the others beingsocial and economic considerations.

The social and economic aspects of sustainabledevelopment are addressed in the Regeneration Strategywhich accompanies the outline planning applications,and also in the socio-economic and health sections ofthe Environmental Statement.

The principles of sustainability underlie all aspects of theKing’s Cross Central proposals. The proposals are subjectto Environmental Impact Assessment and many of theenvironmental considerations relevant to sustainabledevelopment, for example cultural heritage, biodiversity,noise and air quality, are covered in detail in theEnvironmental Statement. In addition, transportation isfully covered in a Transport Assessment and GreenTravel Plan.

The location and nature of King’s Cross Central meansthat in a number of respects the proposed developmentis intrinsically environmentally sustainable. The entiresite comprises “brownfield” land. The presence ofheritage buildings and structures means that, wherepracticable, these can be refurbished and re-used aspart of the development. King’s Cross has the bestpublic transport connections in London. These willimprove further with the completion of the ChannelTunnel Rail Link, the extended St Pancras station andassociated new infrastructure.

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The future major growth areas in the Midlands andSouth-east England, at Milton Keynes and the EastMidlands, the Stansted-Cambridge Corridor, ThamesGateway and Ashford, all currently have direct raillinks into King’s Cross/St Pancras or Euston, or willhave such links once the CTRL and associated railinfrastructure is completed.

The locational advantages of the site are recognised inthe London Boroughs of Camden and IslingtonPlanning and Development Brief for the King’s CrossOpportunity Area (December 2003) which states atpara 2.1.6 that:

“ ... King’s Cross has the potential to provide anoutstanding development, exemplifying theprinciples of sustainability in a socially inclusiveway. In particular it has the public transportaccessibility and infrastructure to supportbusiness and commercial development,culture, tourism, retail and leisure, highereducation and other Central Area activities.These should be combined with improvedaccessibility, new housing provision, theenhancement of existing and the provision ofnew open space, new community and otherfacilities, enhanced transport functions, andthe integration of its valued historic featureswith high quality design.”

The Applicants seek to ensure that the proposalscontribute to sustainable development to a greaterdegree than would arise simply from the nature ofthe site and its location. It is the purpose of thisstrategy to show how the Applicants intend toapproach this and to address principles ofenvironmental sustainability in development of King’sCross Central.

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iv King’s Cross Central

The urban design has been informed by environmentalsustainability considerations. The re-use of existingbuildings represents sound use of existing assets andresources. Design of site levels has been guided by twosometimes conflicting aims:

• To promote accessibility (by all modes, butparticularly pedestrian, cycle and public transport)by tying in to surrounding levels and settingmaximum gradients.

• To minimise off-site removal of material by raisinglevels as much as practicable north of the canal.

The general north-south/east-west arrangement ofbuilding grids will help to create opportunities forlower energy buildings without too much reliance onsolar shading.

The location has inherent problems of noise and airquality as a result of the surrounding transportinfrastructure so natural ventilation is difficult. However,opportunities would be improved by construction ofcontinuous built development along the CTRLembankment and west of King’s Cross Station whichwould help to protect the environment within the site.

Whilst the commercial climate within which theprinciples of environmental sustainability must beapplied and recognised, it is also important toappreciate that, particularly in the context of thetimescale of the King’s Cross Central project, thatcommercial climate is itself changing as businesses andtheir investors become increasingly aware ofenvironmental issues, and as Government Policy andfiscal measures come increasingly to the fore. Somemeasures which at present seem unlikely to becommercially acceptable are likely to meet lessresistance in the future and become accepted asnormal practice.

Each of the buildings at King’s Cross Central would beassessed using the relevant Building ResearchEstablishment Environmental Assessment Method(BREEAM) method, or the equivalent EcoHomes fordwellings.

The Applicants’ target for all appropriate building typesat King’s Cross Central would be to achieve BREEAM orEcoHomes ‘Very Good’ or better, with an aspiration for‘Excellent’, accepting however that there may be somecircumstances in which these standards cannot beachieved. The re-use of heritage buildings; some highdensity residential formats; and the provision ofindividual deep plan offices responding to very particularoccupier demands may mean that a small minority ofbuildings do not meet the stated target. Conversely,where buildings are constructed for a known occupier, itshould be easier to achieve the BREEAM/EcoHomesstandard of ‘Very Good’ and indeed the Applicants’stated aspiration for ‘Excellent’.

All buildings need to meet the requirements of theBuilding Regulations. In some instances the BuildingRegulations set relevant standards which must be metor bettered.

The Applicants would consider the potential for selectedbuildings, in early phases, to demonstrate one or moreleading edge sustainability techniques, specifically aimedto improve the techniques’ commercial application andviability. These may include energy, water or wastedemonstration projects.

EnergyClimate change is recognised to be mainly due togreenhouse gas emissions resulting from combustion offossil fuels for energy use. Decisions at the local levelhave a large influence on the need for energy, andultimately on the scale of eventual climate change effect.

King’s Cross Central may be developed over some fifteento twenty years and during that time the statutoryrequirements, the range of technical solutions, and theircost effectiveness are likely to change. A rigid target setnow would be unsuitable for later buildings. Thus amechanism is needed that allows realistic targets to beused now; and responds to future changes andopportunities, whereby the Building Regulations set theminimum requirements for reduced carbon emissions,with ‘Good Practice’ and ‘Better than Good Practice’achieving consistently improved reductions.

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Whilst all buildings would need to satisfy the BuildingRegulations, King’s Cross Central has set an initial targetof reducing carbon emissions by up to 25% below thosespecified by the Regulations through a combination ofenergy efficiency, use of renewables and increasedsupply efficiency. This benchmark would be reviewed forpracticality at 10-year intervals from the date of outlineplanning approval.

Whilst each of the buildings at King’s Cross Centralwould be assessed using the relevant BREEAM/Ecohomesmethod, the carbon emission targets have been setindependently because, being based on a range ofenvironmental issues, the BREEAM and EcoHomesassessment methods do not explicitly define the highstandard of energy or carbon performance aspired to.

The Energy Hierarchy is the basis for the methodology tobe applied. This involves applying the followingcomponents in the order:

• apply energy efficiency; then

• apply renewable energy; and then

• optimise efficiency of supply.

Energy Efficiency

Building efficiency starts with the building envelope, withits massing and positioning. This in turn affects thechoice of building systems needed and their capacities. Itis when loads are significantly reduced that passivecooling or heating and thermal mass become potentiallysignificant factors. These interactions point to:

• appropriately sized and designed windows;

• whole-life assessment benefits of investing inenhanced envelope thermal performance, to reducesystems capacity;

• careful design of building systems to reduceelectrical demand;

• applying HM Govt Energy Efficiency Best PracticeProgramme Energy Consumption Guides;

• well controlled and directed lighting; and

• consistent reduced peak energy demand.

Renewable Energy

As development of King’s Cross Central progresses,detailed consideration would be given to the full rangeof active renewable energy systems to review theirsuitability and cost effectiveness. These include:

• solar electric photovoltaics (PV);

• solar hot water collectors;

• wind-generated electricity;

• biomass; and

• the use of electricity Green tariffs.

It is anticipated that there is the potential forgenerating some 15% of the King’s Cross Centralenergy needs from renewables, using currently availabletechnologies. A proportion could be site generated, butit is expected that because of the high-density formand the extent of heritage buildings, the majoritywould be renewables generated off-site.

Supply Efficiency

There are a number of potential methods forimproving energy supply efficiency. Those which aremost relevant are:

• Combined Heat & Power (CHP);

• Combined Cooling, Heating & Power (CCHP); and

• Energy Supply Companies (ESCOs).

The applicants are committed to providing an energyinformation and monitoring service as part of the site-wide management. During the development stagethis would provide the key point of responsibility forinitiating site-wide feasibility studies, establishing andrefining benchmarks and targets, providing carbontargeting briefs for each of the buildings, andmonitoring and reviewing the individual buildingdesign energy proposals. The role would includeliaison with Camden and Islington Borough Councilsand energy providers. Once the development wasestablished, the role could also involve theoperational services of an ESCO.

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vi King’s Cross Central

WasteWaste would be generated by the King’s Cross Centraldevelopment at two stages. Firstly, the construction ofthe development itself has the potential to generatesignificant volumes of waste. Secondly, the users of andthe visitors to the completed development would alsogenerate waste. As a high density mixed-usedevelopment, King’s Cross Central would include a rangeof uses including business and employment, residential,hotels, retail, leisure and community facilities.

The waste types that would be produced at King’s CrossCentral would include:

• construction and demolition waste;

• commercial and industrial waste;

• municipal solid waste;

• green waste; and

• waste from leisure uses.

Waste would be managed according to the principlesof Best Practicable Environmental Option (BPEO),regional self sufficiency, the proximity principle and thewaste hierarchy.

The aim would be to:

• first, minimise the amount of waste produced; then

• re-use as much as possible of that which isproduced; then

• recover value from that waste which cannot be re-used, for example, through recycling, compostingand for energy from waste schemes; and then

• dispose of residual waste through landfilling orincineration without energy recovery.

Construction and Demolition Waste

Construction and demolition waste can be minimisedthrough avoidance strategies. The most obvious is to re-use, where practicable, existing buildings and structuresand to incorporate them into the scheme. At King’sCross Central, a number of historic buildings would bere-used within the development.

Where demolition of existing buildings and structures isproposed, there is the potential to salvage materials forre-use, either with or without further processing ortreatment. This would have the benefit of reducing therequirement for primary materials.

The crushing and screening of materials would almostcertainly be required prior to their re-use within thedevelopment. This could be achieved either through theuse of mobile plant within demolition areas or at acentralised processing and storage area.

Surplus material removed from the King’s Cross Centralsite may be used on other development sites in thevicinity or elsewhere. Alternatively, some of the materialmay be suitable as a feedstock for use in the nearbyconcrete batching plants. Any material that could not beso used would be removed to landfill.

Packaging waste associated with the delivery ofconstruction materials can be a significant issue. In adevelopment of the scale of King’s Cross Central theobjective would be to use purchasing power either tominimise the nature of such packaging, look at ways ofre-using packaging, or to specify that it must be capableof being readily recycled.

Significant amounts of waste materials could begenerated from the craft industries in the form of offcuts of wood, bricks, steel, glass etc. Where practicable,this would be minimised through purchasing to precisespecifications which may, where appropriate within thedesign and method of procurement, include a degree ofpre-fabrication.

Where waste generation is inevitable, site managerswould ensure that it is collected and deposited insegregated containers to enable recycling eitherelsewhere on site or, more probably, through processingoff site and subsequent re-use in other products.

Waste from Residents, Businesses and Visitors

The strategy for waste management would be two-stage. The first would be educational, promoting theissues of waste minimisation, and re-use and recycling.The second would be development-led, providing thepractical opportunities to implement sustainable wastemanagement practices.

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The London Boroughs of Camden and Islington alreadyhave well developed information about recycling, re-useand ‘sustainable’ purchasing strategies available in avariety of media. Existing information includes:

• advice on waste avoidance through purchasing;

• re-use of unwanted items either directly orindirectly through charity shops;

• unwanted goods exchange;

• junk mail prevention measures;

• recycling services available;

• home composting;

• waste watch business network; and

• educational visits to schools, residential groupsand businesses.

Information packs would be made available, and regularfeedback sought on the success of schemes andsuggestions for improvements. Given the duration of theproject, the advice and information process wouldinevitably evolve as development progresses. This wouldprovide the opportunity to include new initiatives, andwould enable best practice to be incorporated as it isidentified and evaluated.

Raising the awareness of waste as an issue must besupported through design solutions, both in the publicrealm and within homes, businesses and leisurefacilities, to enable sustainable waste management tobe achieved.

Design would help householders segregate and storewaste into the various streams to be collected, as thewaste collection authorities’ residential collection servicedevelops. Space would be provided for general wastecontainers and for recycling of cans, bottles, paper,plastics, textiles, etc. Storage areas would be secure andsited to be easily accessed by waste collection vehicles.

Since homes are likely to have limited or no outsidestorage space, secure communal recycling storage areaswould be made available. Within homes, space could beprovided to store small amounts of segregated, nonbiodegradable waste prior to transfer to the appropriatecommunal containers. Alternatively, chute systems couldbe installed directly feeding waste containers.

Within the commercial and leisure buildings it would beequally important to design in adequate wastesegregation and storage areas.

Within the public realm, waste containers would beprovided at key locations in appropriate numbers.

The Site Management Company is likely to have animportant role in street cleaning and litter collection inpublic areas, and for maintenance of landscape areas.Wherever practicable, the wastes collected would beappropriately segregated for recycling or composting.

An area of land between the CTRL and the NorthLondon Line (the ‘Linear Land’) together with adjacentCamden-owned depot facilities along York Way, maypresent opportunities to incorporate new wastemanagement facilities which may include, for example,clean bulking facilities. This will be examined further andis the subject of ongoing feasibility studies.

Water Supply and Surface Water DisposalThe Applicant would look to include specific measuresand water economy features to enable potable waterconsumption to be reduced within the King’s CrossCentral design proposals. Targets for overall waterconsumption reduction would be 20% below the typicalusage for residential of 150 litres/day per person, andcommercial/retail premises of 25 litres/day per person.

Economy in use of water would inform the brief for thedesign and fit-out of buildings with the aim of reducingoverall water environmental impact. Building briefswould specifically require the consideration of watersaving, recycling and supply options. Whenconstructing the base build of speculative office andresidential buildings, the Applicants would employgood practice in water consumption. The futuremanagement of water use would then be theresponsibility of tenants or residential occupants, butthey would generally not be expected totally toremove the base systems.

The feasibility of a range of water conservation andmanagement options would be considered as part ofthe design process. These are outlined below.

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Reduced Demand

Various water efficiency measures can be implemented inorder to reduce demand for mains water consumption.Water efficiency leads to reduced impacts associatedwith its supply and disposal, including energy, chemicals,carbon emissions and use of resources.

Reducing demand for water has the effect of reducingthe volume of used water to be subsequently handled,treated and disposed of. In particular, where foul wateris discharged to sewers, it reduces the required capacityof the sewer system and reduces the peak capacityneeded at treatment works. Hence reducing the need forwater has a double benefit of reducing the resource useassociated with both supply and effluent discharge.

Non-potable Supplies

A water conservation strategy relies on the effectivesupply of water of suitable quality. Traditionally in the UKthis has all been at the one potable quality level. Thereare potential alternatives to this, which involve delivery ofwater at different quality levels for different uses. Oftenthese have a secondary benefit of reducing dischargevolumes of wastewater to conventional foul and surfacewater sewers. These potential alternatives include:

• groundwater abstraction;

• greywater recycling;

• blackwater recycling; and

• rainwater harvesting.

It may not be technically or economically feasible toemploy some of these systems centrally. However, it maybe possible to use them on a small scale to provide asustainable water source to a group of buildings or to asingle building. Blackwater re-use is however unlikely toprove feasible at a large scale on a multi-tenancy site withlimited land availability for the treatment infrastructure.

Supply System

Initial discussions have taken place with licensed utilitiesfor the potential use of the canal as a water resource. Itsviability would depend on detailed technicalinvestigations and agreement of appropriate licensingand commercial terms.

Sustainable Drainage Systems (SUDS)

The treatment of storm run-off would follow currentguidelines on sustainable design in high density, centrallocations. The intention is to control the timing andvolume of flows to acceptable standards. It is proposedto reduce the total combined flow to the existingcombined sewers by 10% below the agreed existingdischarge from the site.

It is also the intention to improve the quality of waterrun-off from the developed site. The potential range ofmethods, to be investigated further, is in partdetermined by the topography, soil properties anddevelopment layout. Requirements for any specialground surface finishes would be subject to agreementswith local authorities. The range of potential techniquesincludes landscape features used to improve the qualityof the run-off through:

• infiltration;

• retention;

• filtration; and

• attenuation.

Construction MaterialsSourcing and use of construction materials are importantconsiderations in the environmental sustainability ofdevelopment. Choices of construction materials andpractices adopted on site make important contributionsto safeguarding the environment. The Applicants’materials and purchasing strategy would be based uponthree principles:

• best practice on site, specifically addressingreducing material usage, use of recycled materials,and waste minimisation;

• suitable design with the intention of promotingsustainable techniques and principles; and

• materials selection following a hierarchy based onsustainability criteria.

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The strategy would act as a guide to contractors,designers and others on the principles of reducingmaterial impacts on the environment and would lead tospecification clauses and targets for all designers,contractors and suppliers.

In undertaking the King’s Cross Central development thefollowing measures would be considered:

• reduce volume of materials used;

• use recycled material;

• minimise waste;

• use impact reduction methodologies;

• design for adaptability and flexibility;

• design for future deconstruction and re-use; and

• establish criteria for material selection.

Landscape provision across the site would follow thematerials use and purchasing strategy. It should bepossible to use appropriate materials that have beenrecovered or recycled in the landscaping on site. Bothsoft and hard landscaping would adopt a sustainableapproach.

The future delivery of the King’s Cross Central strategymust consider future building standards and industrybest practice. This means that targets have to be flexible,be based on simple practical and enduring themes, bemeasurable, and reflect the strategy’s ultimate goals. It isimportant that the measures proposed are capable ofbeing delivered. For this reason, the Applicants haveidentified targets based to a considerable extent on theBREEAM standards applied at the design andspecification stage and consistent with achieving overall‘Very Good’, aspiring to ‘Excellent’ rating.

The Applicants would use the BREEAM assessment asthe mechanism to set targets for construction materials.The Applicants would seek to obtain as many points aspossible for each building through achieving thesetargets, consistent with achieving other targets set in thisEnvironmental Sustainability Strategy.

Implementation of the StrategyThe key commitments made by the applicants in thecontext of this Environmental Sustainability Strategy forKing’s Cross Central are as follows:

• The Applicants are committed to the developmentand implementation of a Code of ConstructionPractice which would set the framework for theindividual Construction Environmental ManagementPlans for each construction Contract.

• The Applicants are committed to theimplementation of a comprehensive EnvironmentalManagement System which would cover the post-construction estate management activities at King’sCross Central in the long term. The EMS would bemodelled on ISO14001.

• The remit of the EMS would include all those areasaddressed in this Environmental SustainabilityStrategy. It may also cover other issues addressedwithin the Environmental Statement and the GreenTravel Plan. In particular the EMS would include:

- Energy Reduction Strategy;

- Sustainable Waste Strategy;

- Sustainable Water Strategy; and

- Materials Use and Purchasing Strategy.

• The responsibility for maintaining the EMS wouldfall on the Applicants and the estate managementcompany which would be set up to manage theKing’s Cross Central estate.

Recognising that the commercial climate withinwhich the principles of environmental sustainabilitymust be applied is changing as businesses and theirinvestors become increasingly aware ofenvironmental issues, and as Government Policy andfiscal measures come increasingly to the fore, theApplicants would actively promote awareness of theissues addressed in this Environmental SustainabilityStrategy to those seeking to commission/purchaseand/or occupy new buildings.

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King’s Cross Central

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1. Introduction and Context1.1 This Environmental Sustainability Strategy

explains the ways in which Argent St George,LCR and Exel (the Applicants for the King’sCross Central development), would exploreand address the environmental and naturalresource issues which form one aspect ofsustainable development, the others beingsocial and economic considerations. TheLondon Sustainable Development Commissionhas prepared a Sustainability Framework forLondon which has as its overall objective:

“ We will achieve environmental, social andeconomic development simultaneously,the improvement of one will not be tothe detriment of another. Where tradeoffs between competing objectives areunavoidable, these will be transparentand minimised.”

1.2 The social and economic aspects of sustainabledevelopment are addressed in theRegeneration Strategy which accompanies theoutline planning applications, and also in thesocio-economic and health sections of theEnvironmental Statement.

1.3 The environmental and resource objectives ofthe Sustainability Framework for London are:

• Environment

We will protect and improve the city’snatural ecosystems, its biodiversity, its openspaces and its built environment. We willhelp to protect the wider regional, nationaland international environments with whichLondon has links.

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• Resources

We will limit and deal with our pollution, anduse energy and material resources prudently,efficiently and effectively, including re-usingand recycling our residual waste.

1.4 It should be appreciated, as referred to by theInspector in his report on the Camden UnitaryDevelopment Plan Chapter 13 Local PublicInquiry (para 1.35), that

“ ... sustainability should be viewed as arecurring theme that informs all policies inChapter 13 rather than a topic subject to adiscrete policy ...”

In the same way, the principles of sustainabilityunderlie all aspects of the King’s Cross Centralproposals. The proposals are subject toEnvironmental Impact Assessment and many ofthe environmental considerations relevant tosustainable development, for examplecultural heritage, biodiversity, noise and airquality, are covered in detail in theEnvironmental Statement which accompaniesthe outline planning applications. In addition,transportation is fully covered in a TransportAssessment and Green Travel Plan, whichalso accompany the proposals.

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Sustainable Location andDevelopment Choices

1.5 King’s Cross is identified as an Opportunity Area inthe London Plan (GLA 2004). Para 2.8 of the Planexplains that:

“ Opportunity Areas have been identified on thebasis that they are capable of accommodatingsubstantial new jobs or homes and theirpotential should be maximised. Typically, eachcan accommodate at least 5,000 jobs or 2,500homes or a mix of the two, together withappropriate provision of other uses such aslocal shops, leisure facilities and schools.These areas generally include major brownfieldsites with capacity for new development andplaces with potential for significant increasesin density. Their development should begeared to the use of public transport and theyare either located at areas of good access orwould require public transport improvementsto support development ...”

1.6 The very location and nature of King’s Cross Centralmeans that in a number of respects the proposeddevelopment is intrinsically environmentallysustainable. The entire site comprises “brownfield”land. The presence of heritage buildings andstructures means that, where practicable, these canbe refurbished and re-used as part of thedevelopment. King’s Cross has the best publictransport connections in London. These willimprove further with the completion of theChannel Tunnel Rail Link, the extended St Pancrasstation and associated new infrastructure.

1.7 These intrinsic environmental advantages of the siteare recognised in Chapter 13 of the LondonBorough of Camden’s Unitary Development Plan(UDP) (which is specifically concerned with theKing’s Cross Opportunity Area), which states atpara 13.3 that the Opportunity Area is one of thefew remaining major development opportunities inLondon and the major one in Camden. It meritsseparate treatment in the UDP by virtue of:

“ a. the scale and nature of the outstandingdevelopment opportunities presented by thearea’s excellent and improving public transportnetwork.”

and

“ f. the great potential for low energy buildingswith sustainable transport links, located in theheart of central London.”

1.8 This accords with the Government’s guidance asset out in Planning Policy Guidance (PPG) 13:Transport which aims to extend choice and securemobility in a way that supports sustainabledevelopment (para 2). This means enablingpeople to make sustainable transport choices andpromoting sustainable distribution (para 3). Para 4of PPG13 sets out the Government’s objective tointegrate planning and transport at the national,regional, strategic and local level to:

“ 1. promote more sustainable transport choicesfor both people and for moving freight;

2. promote accessibility to jobs, shopping,leisure facilities and services by publictransport, walking and cycling, and

3. reduce the need to travel, especially by car.”

1.9 In order to deliver these objectives, localauthorities are advised to (para 6 of PPG13):

“ 1. Actively manage the pattern of urbangrowth to make the fullest use of publictransport, and focus the major generators oftravel demand in city, town and districtcentres and near to major public transportinterchanges.”

1.10 Para 21 of PPG13 sets out guidance regarding keysites:

“ Local authorities should seek to maximise useof the most accessible sites, such as those intown centres and others which are, or willbe, close to major transport interchanges.These opportunities may be scarce. Theyshould be pro-active in promoting intensivedevelopment in these areas and on suchsites. They should develop a clear vision fordevelopment of these areas, prepare sitebriefs and, where appropriate, consider usingcompulsory purchase powers to bringdevelopment forward. Local authoritiesshould review their development planallocations and should:

- Allocate or reallocate sites which are (orwill be) highly accessible by publictransport for travel-intensive uses(including offices, retail, commercialleisure, hospitals and conferencefacilities), ensuring efficient use of land,but seek, where possible, a mix of uses,including a residential element; and

- Allocate or reallocate sites unlikely to bewell served by public transport for useswhich are not travel intensive.”

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1.11 The future major growth areas in the Midlandsand South-east England, at Milton Keynes andthe East Midlands, the Stansted-CambridgeCorridor, Thames Gateway and Ashford, allcurrently have direct rail links into King’sCross/St Pancras or Euston, or will have suchlinks once the CTRL and associated railinfrastructure is completed.

1.12 The locational advantages of the site arefurther recognised in the London Boroughsof Camden and Islington Planning andDevelopment Brief for the King’s CrossOpportunity Area (December 2003) whichstates at para 2.1.6 that:

“ ... King’s Cross has the potential to providean outstanding development,exemplifying the principles ofsustainability in a socially inclusive way.In particular it has the public transportaccessibility and infrastructure to supportbusiness and commercial development,culture, tourism, retail and leisure, highereducation and other Central Areaactivities. These should be combinedwith improved accessibility, new housingprovision, the enhancement of existingand the provision of new open space,new community and other facilities,enhanced transport functions, and theintegration of its valued historic featureswith high quality design.”

Further Application ofSustainability Principles

1.13 The Applicants seek to ensure that theproposals contribute to sustainabledevelopment to a greater degree than wouldarise simply from the nature of the site and itslocation. It is the purpose of this strategy toshow how the Applicants intend to approachthis and address principles of environmentalsustainability in development of King’s CrossCentral.

1.14 Strategic Policy SKC1 of the London Boroughof Camden UDP seeks the sustainabledevelopment of the King’s Cross OpportunityArea. Policy KC8 refers to design matters,including the promotion of sustainable designprinciples and maximisation of opportunitiesfor improved energy efficiency to limitgreenhouse gas emissions. In this context para13.61 states that:

“ There is an opportunity to create anoutstanding development in the King’sCross Opportunity Area based on theprinciples of sustainability. Particularfacilities such as waste management andrecycling provision may have the capacityto serve a wider area. Developmentsshould incorporate the followingsustainable design principles, to:

- minimise materials, energy and wateruse in building construction andoperation;

- use materials that are not scarce andare obtained without damagingimportant habitats, ecosystems orlandscapes;

- recycle materials;

- minimise air and water pollution;

- minimise waste creation and provideeffective waste management;

- minimise ambient noise;

- design and construct buildings to beflexible, adaptable and maintainablewith minimal use of resources andenvironmental impact;

- protect, create and enhancehabitats and overall biodiversity;

- minimise the risk of flooding;

- conserve water; and

- minimise surface water and run-offthrough the use of SustainableUrban Drainage Systems.”

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Urban Design1.15 In addition to the high density mixed-use

nature of the proposals at this major publictransport node (promoting sustainabletransport choices) and the brownfield nature ofthe site (making efficient use of previouslydeveloped land), the urban design has beeninformed by environmental sustainabilityconsiderations. The re-use of existing buildingsrepresents sound use of existing assets andresources, reducing waste generation andminimising use of virgin materials.

1.16 Design of site levels has been guided by twosometimes conflicting criteria:

• to promote accessibility (by all modes, butparticularly pedestrian, cycle and publictransport) by tying in to surrounding levelsand setting maximum gradients; and

• to minimise off-site removal of material byraising levels as much as practicable north ofthe canal.

1.17 The general north-south/east-westarrangement of building grids will help tocreate opportunities for lower energybuildings without too much reliance onsolar shading.

1.18 The location has inherent problems ofnoise and air quality as a result of thesurrounding transport infrastructure sonatural ventilation is difficult. However,opportunities would be improved byconstruction of continuous builtdevelopment along the CTRL embankment(Development Zone T) and west of King’sCross Station (Development Zone A),which would help to protect theenvironment within the site.

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Status and Application of the Strategy 1.22 The overall aim of this strategy is to promote

and achieve high standards of environmentaldesign at King’s Cross Central by informing thedetailed environmental design and realisation ofthe development. This would be a dynamicprocess whereby new developments intechnology and techniques, and changes in andexperience of, the environment at the site canbe taken into account in the ongoing design,construction and management of the site andits buildings and facilities over time.

Structure 1.23 Section 2 of this strategy addresses energy

considerations. Design and operationalmeasures which aim to promote long-termenergy efficiency in buildings are discussed. Thepotential for renewable energy production onthe site is considered, and methods ofmaximising the carbon efficiency of non-renewable energy consumption within the siteare discussed. Environmental standards andenergy targets are also provided.

1.24 Section 3 considers waste issues. It sets out anoutline waste strategy, including wasteminimisation and recycling, recommendationsfor waste management storage and access,promotion of waste management schemes,transport of waste, and integration of thestrategy with the waste managementobjectives of the London Boroughs ofCamden and Islington.

1.25 Section 4 considers water supply andsurface water disposal, and providesguidance on more sustainable optionsbeyond the conventional requirements forwater supply and sewerage.

1.26 Section 5 considers environmental issuesassociated with the materials to be used forthe construction of buildings and externalareas at King’s Cross Central. It identifies thekey strategic considerations and sets outproposed specification criteria and targets.

1.19 This Environmental Sustainability Strategy issubmitted as a further supporting document, tosit alongside the Environmental Statement,Transport Assessment and other documents. Itexplains how various topics - energy, waste,water supply and surface water disposal, andconstruction materials – would be addressedthrough the lifetime of the development.

1.20 The Environmental Sustainability Strategy doesnot form part of any planning application.Nevertheless, it has been prepared in thecontext of various planning documents, inparticular the London Boroughs of Camden andIslington Planning and Development Brief forthe King’s Cross Opportunity Area, referred toabove, which states at para 3.4.5:

“ The Councils recognise that there aresometimes complex balances andcompromises to be made and achievedbetween different aspects of sustainabledevelopment and indeed wider economicor social objectives. They also recognisethat, because of the long-term nature ofthe development of the Opportunity Area,a flexible approach that reflects changingsocial, economic, environmental andtechnological circumstances will becentral to the sustainable regeneration ofthe area ...”

1.21 It is the case that there are tensions betweensome of the many aspects of sustainabledevelopment. For example, the imperative forhigh density development to optimise thelocational and public transport benefits of thesite means that opportunities for passive solargain to reduce the need for heating of buildingsare more limited than they might otherwise be,and the opportunities for biodiversity provisionare similarly constrained. Low intensity land useswhich might otherwise be considered desirablefor reasons of environmental or socialsustainability, such as extensive wastemanagement, waste water treatment, or largescale outdoor sports facilities, cannot beaccommodated.

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1.27 Section 6 of this document explains how theEnvironmental Sustainability Strategy would beimplemented. Environmental requirements aredefined in a Code of Construction Practicewhich would set the parameters forConstruction Environmental Management Plans(CEMPs). These CEMPs would form part ofconstruction contracts. In the longer term, asthe elements of the development are built out,the ongoing estate management of thecompleted sections of the development wouldimplement and operate an EnvironmentalManagement System.

1.28 Where appropriate in the text, reference ismade to examples of previous developmentsundertaken by the Applicants and others toillustrate the application of some environmentalsustainability principles.

Commercial Considerations 1.29 The Applicants, as development/landowner

partners, intend not only to take account ofenvironmental sustainability in the design andconstruction of King’s Cross Central, but also toestablish a management company to retaincontrol of the management of the completeddevelopment. In the long term, environmentalsustainability through management woulddepend at least in part on choices made byoccupiers of the buildings. However,implementation of this strategy in the designand construction of the development wouldmean that sustainability principles are inherentfeatures of the buildings and associatedinfrastructure, facilitating the future choice ofsustainable management options. In so far as themanagement company had direct responsibility,this Environmental Sustainability Strategy wouldbe taken forward through the EnvironmentalManagement System.

1.30 It is important to recognise that there arecommercial and practical constraints whichdetermine the degree to which the applicantscan incorporate innovative environmentalsustainability measures into new buildings.These constraints vary with the nature of thedevelopment. For example, in the case ofspeculative commercial development, wherethe end users and their requirements are notknown, the building has to be ‘aimed’ at thebroadest possible market in order to ensurethat it attracts a tenant. Also, in this situationit is difficult to invest in systems that requirehigh additional capital investment because,whereas these may theoretically be ‘paid back’through cost savings, the initial capital cost isborne by the developer whilst thetenant/occupier receives the ongoing benefit.

1.31 The situation is different in the case of pre-let,pre-sale or similar commercial arrangementswhere there is an opportunity for thedeveloper to work with the occupier onbespoke systems etc.

1.32 In the case of residential development, onebuilding may have many different occupiers,and there may be a mixture of market andaffordable housing. Capital costs are aconstraint on affordable housing, which isgenerally delivered with public sector grantand its occupiers are typically highly sensitiveto service charge and other costs. However,more economical management, and thedemanding standards set by the HousingCorporation, mean that affordable housingcan often achieve a high degree ofenvironmental sustainability.

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1.33 Whilst the commercial climate within which theprinciples of environmental sustainability mustbe applied must be recognised, it is alsoimportant to appreciate that, particularly in thecontext of the timescale of the King’s CrossCentral project, that commercial climate is itselfchanging as businesses and their investorsbecome increasingly aware of environmentalissues, and as Government Policy and fiscalmeasures come increasingly to the fore. Somemeasures which at present seem unlikely to becommercially acceptable are likely to meet lessresistance in the future and become accepted asnormal practice.

Interactions 1.34 Within the individual sections of this report, the

various environmental design measures whichmay be implemented are each considered inisolation. For example, when energy efficiency isdiscussed, the options considered highlightpossible reductions in total energy requirements.When renewable energy provision is considered,it is quantified against a ‘standard’ energydemand which does not take into accountpotential reductions in demand throughimplementation of energy efficiency measures.Thus if both energy efficiency measures andrenewable energy were implemented, theresultant benefits may be cumulative. Similarly, ifboth waste minimisation and waste recyclingmeasures were implemented, the effects of bothin combination may be cumulative althoughthey are considered here in isolation.

1.35 There may also be interactions betweenenvironmental components considered indifferent sections. For example, measures toimprove energy efficiency may influence theselection of building materials or techniques.Again, these interactions are not considered inthis strategy, but would be importantconsiderations in the ongoing design of thedevelopment.

Setting Targets1.36 Each of the buildings at King’s Cross Central

would be assessed using the relevantBuilding Research EstablishmentEnvironmental Assessment Method(BREEAM) method, including the bespokeBREEAM system where applicable, or theequivalent EcoHomes for dwellings.

1.37 BREEAM provides a method for assessing theenvironmental performance of both newand existing buildings, and is generallyregarded by the UK construction andproperty sectors as the measure of bestpractice in environmental design andmanagement. BREEAM provides a means ofassessing overall environmental performancebased on the individual consideration ofmanagement, energy use, health and well-being, pollution, transport, land-use,ecology, materials and water.

1.38 There is a growing awareness that for newbuildings where the design team considers itas part of the initial brief, the attainment ofa high BREEAM standard can often beachieved. Consequently, the Applicants’target for all appropriate building types atKing’s Cross Central would be to achieveBREEAM or EcoHomes ‘Very Good’ or better,with an aspiration for ‘Excellent’, acceptinghowever that there may be somecircumstances in which these standardscannot be achieved. The re-use of heritagebuildings; some high-density residentialformats; and the provision of individual deepplan offices responding to very particularoccupier demands may mean that a smallminority of buildings do not meet the statedtarget. Conversely, where buildings areconstructed for a known occupier, it shouldbe easier to achieve the BREEAM/EcoHomesstandard of ‘Very Good’ and indeed theApplicants’ stated aspiration for ‘Excellent’.

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Transport, cultural heritage and re-use of brown-field sites are important topics for environmentalsustainability that are not addressed by thisdocument. These topics are addressed intrinsicallyby the proposals and are addressed in theEnvironmental Impact Assessment, the TransportAssessment and the Green Travel Plan. Examplesof where the Applicants have used sustainableprinciples to address these topics are:

1.39 All buildings need to meet the requirements ofthe Building Regulations, which is the principalstatutory mechanism by which theGovernment can push the industry towardsmore sustainable construction. In someinstances, the Building Regulations set relevantstandards which must be met or bettered.

1.40 The way in which the BREEAM ratings orBuilding Regulation standards would beapplied in the context of this strategy areexplained in the individual topic sectionswhich follow.

Demonstration Projects1.41 The Applicants are aware of the considerable

future potential of sustainability-related energyand other techniques, but are also concernedabout the current constraints that limit theirmore general application in the commercialmarket. Many of these constraints relate tothe perceived risk and the limited applicationexperience. To address this, the Applicantswould consider the potential for selectedbuildings, in early phases, to demonstrate oneor more leading edge sustainabilitytechniques, specifically aimed to improve thetechniques’ commercial application andviability. These may include energy, water orwaste demonstration projects.

The Application of SustainabilityPrinciples

1.42 At appropriate points through this strategyreport, examples are provided of where theApplicants and others have appliedsustainable principles in relation to energy,waste, water supply and surface waterdisposal, and construction materials atprevious developments.

1.43 The following examples relate to otherenvironmental sustainability principles notspecifically addressed in this strategy:

TransportBoth Argent and St George seek tominimise carbon emissions from transportto and from their new developments bylooking at all aspects of the transportinfrastructure. All current majordevelopment projects have secure cyclestorage facilities and are within 15 minuteswalk of a tube or rail link. Both companiespromote high density mixed-usedevelopments, as proposed at King’s Cross,that allow residents and workers to reducedependence on vehicular modes oftransport by combining trips to work withtrips to shops and leisure activities.

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At Imperial Wharf, which was not well served bypublic transport, St George is creating an integratedtransport hub: improving local bus services, cycleroutes and contributing to £1.75m to a new railstation. At Thames Valley Park in Reading, which alsolacked public transport links, Argent helped fund buslinks to Reading Station and committed to theprovision of a £2m new rail station.

Cultural HeritageArgent has had considerable success indeveloping in and around sensitive heritageenvironments. At Governor’s House in the Cityof London Argent undertook extensivearchaeological research that established thatthe proposed building was indeed on the siteof the former Roman governor’s house.Sensitive piling techniques and superstructuredesign minimised ground disturbance.

At Alder Castle, archaeological work facilitatedresearch into the London Wall dating back tothe Roman period. The design enhanced thesetting of the London Wall and incorporated anumber of features to enhance understandingof the site.

At the Ikon Gallery at Brindleyplace, Argentworked with the gallery to convert successfullythe old Grade II listed schoolhouse into anaward winning venue for modern art.

At Charter Quay, Teddington Wharf and PutneyWharf, St George provided new slipways andriver piers to open up a new transport optionalong with the provision of new moorings. AtBrindleyplace in Birmingham, Argent enhancedthe surrounding canal environment and evenbrought some pre-fabricated building elementsto the site by narrow-boat.

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In its seven Thames-side schemes, St Georgehas upgraded over 2km of river frontage,improving access to the River. River wallrepairs using pre-aged natural materials led tothe Environment Agency supporting asuccessful grant bid to MAFF to use similartechniques in the Docklands. At St George’sWharf, they worked closely with theEnvironment Agency to protect the riverforeshore from encroachment to ensure thatthis important area of the Thames is not builton, despite the local authority grantingpermission to do so.

Re-Use of Brownfield SitesArgent and St George are both at the forefrontof brownfield site redevelopment and all oftheir current development projects are beingdelivered on brownfield sites. St George hasworked in conjunction with the Civic Trust topublish an industry guide for reclamation,offering encouragement and best practiceexamples.

Some examples of brownfield developmentundertaken by Argent and St George include:

• Brindleyplace – a former brass worksand other industrial site

• Thames Valley Park – a former coal firedpower station and concrete works

• Imperial Wharf – former gas works• Lockes Wharf – former lead smelting

works

Exel has worked with many of its partners tobring forward development of a number oftheir brownfield sites.

In the early 1990s Exel partnered with Safewayand Community Housing Association toregenerate Camden Goods Yard.

Another former Exel site, Paddington Central, iscurrently delivering high density, mixed-usedevelopment on brownfield land adjacent to atransport node. This follows Exel and its partnersecuring a negotiated planning consent.

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2. Energy

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Context 2.4 In addition to a growing general awareness of

the implications of global warming, there areincreasing relevant UK Government and EUcommitments, legislation and recommendationson energy.

2.5 The Energy White Paper ‘Our Energy Future –creating a low carbon economy’ (H M Govt,2003) outlines the UK Government’s newenergy policy for reduced dependence on gas,coal and oil, and a substantial increase inrenewable energy production. It confirms theUK objective of a 60% carbon emissionsreduction by 2050, and a target of 20%reduction by 2020. It identifies the benefits ofdeveloping renewables instead of increaseddependence on imported natural gas as ourindigenous supplies reduce.

2.6 There are clear advantages in developing thetechnologies involved in moving to a lowcarbon economy. Instead of exporting hard-earned revenue by buying imported fuel, itrecycles revenue through more locallyderived renewables, with increased localemployment, skills base and technologiesdeveloped for delivering this more diverserange of energy sources.

2.7 Energy efficiency and reducing the amountof energy needed are at the forefront of thisdrive. Not only does this reinforce improvedresource efficiency, the ‘getting more fromless’ principle, but it shifts a largerproportion of available expenditure towardslocal services and higher value products.

Introduction2.1 Climate change is recognised by international

consensus to be mainly due to greenhouse gasemissions resulting from combustion of fossilfuels for energy use. Climate change effectsare beginning to be felt locally, both directlythrough changes in weather patterns, and alsothrough implementation of mitigationmeasures, such as increasing generation ofpower through renewable energy sources,particularly wind power. Decisions at the locallevel have a large influence on the need forenergy, and ultimately on the scale of eventualclimate change effect.

2.2 Reducing greenhouse gas emissions fromenergy production is the fundamental aim ofan energy strategy. The Government’s EnergyWhite Paper of February 2003 includes as oneof its four goals:

“ to put ourselves on a path to cut theUK’s carbon dioxide emissions - the maincontributor to global warming - by some60% by about 2050 with real progressby 2020.”

2.3 King’s Cross Central would aspire to becomea model of how to balance the needs ofcarbon-based energy reductions againstcommercial pressures, evolving technologies,and continually changing expectations.Building energy use benchmarks arecontinuing to evolve and the King’s CrossCentral energy strategy provides the flexibilityto respond to these changes. This sectionpresents initial energy targets and themethodology for their realisation.

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2.8 Buildings contribute some 50% of the UK’scarbon emissions, and considerably more thanthis if the travel to and from these buildings isincluded. The buildings we construct now arelikely still to be in use in 2050 when 60%carbon emission reductions are expected, andsome in use in 2100 when the RoyalCommission on Environmental Pollution predictsthat 80% reductions will be needed (RCEP,2000). Newly-constructed buildings, inparticular, are expected to respond to this newagenda, not least because of the technicalability to achieve very high energy performancecompared with the existing building stock, evenif the financial means and social acceptancemay not yet be in place. It is also the case thatmost new developments are adding to theoverall building stock, and hence adding tocarbon emissions, rather than simply replacingand upgrading existing stock.

2.9 The Government has indicated that it will usethe full range of controls at its disposal toharness market forces to bring about theneeded energy use changes. The BuildingRegulations (H M Govt, 2002) are to bereviewed on a continuous five yearly basis andmethods explored for applying aspects of theseregulations to existing buildings. Planningguidance is being revised with the intention thatenergy use becomes a material planningconsideration (see for example the ConsultationDraft Planning Policy Statement (PPS) 22:Renewable Energy). The GLA and the newRegional Development Agencies formally includeenergy in spatial planning guidance. Thesepolicies are influencing local SupplementaryPlanning Guidance, with at least one LondonBorough now including the requirement for10% renewable energy in its UnitaryDevelopment Plan.

2.10 Currently, even for many ‘Good Practice’buildings, actual in-use carbon emissions arecontinuing to rise as buildings are used moreintensively and with increased use of carbon-intensive electrical systems. The currentincremental improvement approach to nationalBuilding Regulations is likely simply to cap thiscontinued rise, and not be sufficient to achievethe reductions required to meet EU andGovernment targets, unless the basis forBuilding Regulations is substantially altered. Theuse of the planning and development controlsystem is seen as a mechanism that allowslocally established priorities to define howreduction targets are to be achieved.

2.11 The GLA, through the Mayor’s draft EnergyStrategy (GLA 2003), has taken a lead insuggesting means for achieving carbon targets.It seeks 20% carbon emission reductions by2010, with major developments expected to be‘exemplars’ of energy efficiency with 10% ofenergy provided by renewables. The Strategygoes on to explore a full range ofimplementational mechanisms: energy saving;fuel switching; education; generation; andtechnological aspects, although some are farfrom today’s market. It also talks about the needfor demonstration projects and aspirations for azero carbon development in each borough. TheStrategy serves two different purposes; firstlyguidance on what is to be expected now, butsecondly illustrating how future targets could bemet using a range of evolving technologies andtechniques. The issue highlighted by thestrategy is distinguishing what is practical now,from what is future aspiration.

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Market Influence2.12 The provision of new and refurbished

buildings is governed by market requirements.Anticipating the needs and perceptions ofpotential tenants and occupiers shapes thebuilding form, its facilities and systems.Currently, carbon emissions do not register asa priority for many, certainly not somethingwarranting a cost premium. The risk ofdiscouraging potential occupiers in this way,so they may go elsewhere, has to be managedand avoided for the overall success of King’sCross Central.

2.13 Where a developer can design the building fora known user, be it a pre-let, pre-sale, orsimilar situation, there is an opportunity toconsider innovative energy systems. It allowsan increased capital investment to be agreedin return for lower running costs.

Number Five Brindleyplace

(Pre-let to BT)

In 1995 Argent agreed a pre-letting of 15,400m2 toBritish Telecom at Brindleyplace in Birmingham. Fromthe outset, BT was convinced that the new officeshould be a low energy building while meeting theirother aspirations for a good quality interior spacewith focal points where staff would meet naturally.

To gain background information, Argent surveyedexisting BT buildings to understand the range ofoperations envisaged within the new building and toestimate the energy and environmental demandsgenerated by these activities. This allowed Argent andBT to arrive at the ‘right’ specification for BT’s needswhich allowed the designers to fine-tune the building.

Windows were kept as small as practical,commensurate with good daylighting. This made itpossible to keep the air conditioning system verysimple and efficient while maintaining the internalenvironmental standards to meet the occupiers’needs. Air at 18ºC is supplied through grilles in a400mm floor void and passed back through the airhandling plant through the ceiling void.

2.14 However, much of King’s Cross Central, aseverywhere else in the UK, is likely to bespeculative development where the end user,occupier or purchaser is unknown untilindividual buildings are completed. Intensecompetition for potential occupants means thathigher capital costs of any innovation canrarely, if ever, be converted into higher sale orrental rates to recover the developer’sinvestment, even if the occupier benefits fromlower running costs.

2.15 However, there are indications of a shift in partsof the market, with increasing interest inenvironmental issues. How far and how fast thisinterest will develop remains to be seen. By thelater stages of the King’s Cross Centraldevelopment, the market needs may havechanged and may (or may not) be demandingsignificantly improved environmental standards.

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Number Four Brindleyplace

Speculative DevelopmentSafeguarding the Future

When Argent approached the speculativedevelopment of Number Four Brindleyplace in1997, there was a clear desire to create the buildon the low energy concepts of Number Five,whilst ensuring that the building could meet thewidest possible requirements of “institutional”occupiers. The result was an award-winningbuilding capable of flexible, multi-tenantoccupation, with a choice of energy andenvironmental control systems including partnatural ventilation.

The external envelope and fresh air supplysystems were designed to be capable ofaccommodating occupancy levels as dense as7m2/person. Whilst these occupancy levels areseldom utilised in practice, this enhanced capacityallows the building to appeal to the widestpossible range of users, which is essential whenbringing a speculative building to the market.

Design to an enhanced level of performance putshigh demands on the building envelope andsystems. Whilst much of the façade is glazed,good energy performance is achieved by usingexternal solar shading and high performance glass.

The building was designed to allow the tenant tochoose the type of cooling and ventilationsystems that would achieve a comfortableworking environment. The atrium and façadewere designed to allow a single occupant toachieve partial natural ventilation. The floor slabswere built so that they could be exposed,allowing climate moderation using chilled beams.Each floor has a 450mm raised floor which couldact as a plenum if a tenant chose to operate anupward displacement system.

In the event, none of the tenants chose to useanything other that the standard “institutional”fully air-conditioned option. Unless energy costsincrease to the level at which consumptionconstitutes a meaningful proportion of businessrunning costs, or if there are other “corporateresponsibility” drivers, it is unlikely that there willbe a shift in occupier demand to take up lowerenergy features. If this shift does take place,Number Four will be able to respond to the newenvironment.

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Evolving Targets2.16 King’s Cross Central may be developed over

some 15-20 years and during that time thestatutory requirements, the range of technicalsolutions, and their cost effectiveness are likelyto change. A rigid target set now would beunsuitable for later buildings. Thus an escalatormechanism is needed that allows realistictargets to be used now and responds to futurechanges and opportunities. This principle isillustrated schematically in Figure 2.1, wherethe Building Regulations set the minimumrequirements for reduced carbon emissions,with ‘Good Practice’ and ‘Better than GoodPractice’ achieving consistently improvedreductions.

Setting Targets2.17 To be of use, energy targeting needs to be:

Simple

• As the fundamental aim is to reduce carbonemissions, this would be the measure to beapplied throughout building types (measuredas kgC/m2 per year). It has the benefit ofnow being adopted by the BuildingRegulations for various building types. Itavoids the interpretation issues involved inmany of the other measures like primaryenergy, delivered energy, and various BestPractice standards.

Auditable

• By relating the target to BuildingRegulations, a clearly identified evolvingstandard can be established. This provides agood practicality check because eachregulation change relates to what theindustry at that time can deliver. In addition,the Building Regulations provide themechanism for auditing against the targetbecause each building design has to beaccompanied by a carbon-related assessmentfor Building Regulations approval. TheRegulations now also require energy sub-metering throughout buildings, providingthe means for monitoring actual carbonemissions if and when EU Building EnergyUse regulations come into operation.

Flexible

• Using an overall building carbon targetallows the developer the flexibility to usethe most cost-effective combination ofenergy efficiency, use of energy fromrenewable sources and energy supply toachieve the target.

Practical

• The actual energy consumption of abuilding depends on a combination ofthe building user systems andmanagement, alongside the buildingenvelope, and basic infrastructure. Asignificant proportion of this is beyondthe influence of the developer, includingobtaining meter readings of actualenergy use. Thus an intermediate stagethat allows the initial building design tobe audited provides assurance that thetarget is being implemented.

2000 2020

Car

bo

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BuildingRegulations

Better thanGood Practice

Good Practice

Figure 2.1Benchmark Escalator: Improving with Time

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Benchmarks2.18 Whilst all buildings at King’s Cross Central would

need to satisfy the Building Regulations, theApplicants are committed to setting challengingcarbon emissions performance targets that gobeyond that which is required by law.

2.19 King’s Cross Central has set an initial target ofreducing carbon emissions by up to 25% belowthose specified by the Building Regulationsthrough a combination of energy efficiency, useof renewables and increased supply efficiency.For individual building types, this represents thefollowing targets:

2.20 The carbon emissions benchmark escalator of25% better than the Building Regulations wouldbe reviewed for practicality at 10 year intervalsfrom the date of outline planning approval.

Note 1 The choice of ventilation system would take into account noise &other external pollution levels, occupier requirements, marketperception and other factors. To provide a positive incentive toencourage take-up of more efficient building types, the air-conditioned office benchmark is 25% better than the BuildingRegulations, while mechanical ventilation is only 12% better andnatural ventilation equal to the Building Regulations.

Note 2 In accordance with Building Regulations Part L2 2002, this excludescarbon emissions due to occupant “process requirements”, forexample, extra high occupancy beyond typical office use (12m2 perperson defined as typical by the British Council for Offices Guide2000) or intensive IT requirements.

Officescarbon target (kg C/m2/yr)Base building only - includes heating, cooling,fans, pumps, lighting & domestic hot water(Notes 1 & 2)Tenant energy use - includes office equipment,computers & communications rooms, catering& other miscellaneous uses

Naturallyventilated

7.1

Mechanicallyventilated

8.8

Air-conditioned13.9

The tenant’s equipment is excluded from the target. Tenant’s essentialprocesses within the buildings may add additional carbon emissions.

ResidentialCarbon Index (Note 3)

9.1

RetailIncludes tenant usecarbon target (kg C/m2/yr)

Non-food21.8

Department28.3

Supermarket72

Hotels & Conferencingcarbon target (kg C/m2/yr)

Holiday Hotel15.8

Luxury Hotel18

Leisurecarbon target (kg C/m2/yr)

Sports & Pool28.3

Cinema2.7

Community Facilitiescarbon target (kg C/m2/yr)

Police, Fire &Ambulance

13.3

Bank10.1

Schools4.8

(Note 4)

Note 3 SAP: 2001. The Government’sStandard Assessment Procedurefor Energy Rating of Dwellings

Note 4 Building Bulletin 87: 2003. Deptfor Education and Skills

Table 2.1 Carbon Emissions Targets

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Building EnvironmentalAssessments

2.21 As explained in Section 1, each of thebuildings at King’s Cross Central would beassessed using the relevantBREEAM/Ecohomes method. The carbonemission targets are expected to complementthese assessments but have been setindependently because, being based on arange of environmental issues, the BREEAMand EcoHomes assessment methods do notexplicitly define the high standard of energy orcarbon performance aspired to.

Application Methodology 2.22 The London Mayor’s draft Energy Strategy

(GLA, 2003) includes the Energy Hierarchy as astrategic tool for prioritising carbon emissionreduction methods. This is the basis for themethodology to be applied:

• apply energy efficiency; then

• apply renewable energy; and then

• optimise efficiency of supply.

2.23 This emphasises the importance of reducingthe need for energy before considering theuse of renewables; and lastly energy supplyaspects like Combined Heat and Power (CHP).This is reinforced in whole-life cost termswhere reducing the need for energy is betterthan use of renewables and alternative energysupply methods. Thus the emphasis for King’sCross Central is on reducing demand, albeitthat this may make the economic case forsome renewable or energy supply initiativesmore marginal.

2.24 There are various carbon-saving technologiesthat, if they are to be implemented, have to bedone as part of district-wide infrastructure.Establishing which technologies are appropriate,and for which areas and phases of thedevelopment, would require detailed feasibilitystudies at a later stage. The available andemerging technologies are:

• passive cooling using night ventilation orground water;

• active cooling & heating using ground-source heat-pumps;

• community heating infrastructure serving allor parts of the site;

• combined heat & power (CHP); large scale,micro-CHP & fuel cell; and

• combined cooling, heat & power (CCHP).

2.25 The Applicants would consider the applicationof each of these technologies and consult keystakeholders including Camden and IslingtonBorough Councils. Feasibility studies would bedone as the building forms, the mix of uses, andlikely energy demand profiles start to becomeavailable during the detailed design of the firstmajor phase. These studies would considerissues wider than the purely technical, including:

• occupier acceptability;

• long-term operating business plans;

• availability and range of alternativesuppliers;

• supply reliability for end user; and

• whole life carbon-saving potential.

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Energy Efficiency2.26 Building efficiency starts with the building

envelope, with its massing and positioning.This in turn affects the choice of buildingsystems needed and their capacities. It iswhen loads are significantly reduced thatpassive cooling or heating and thermal massbecome potentially significant factors. Theseinteractions point to:

• appropriately sized and designedwindows, with recent experienceshowing that oversized windows fail toachieve electric lighting saving becauseof increased glare-blind use;

• whole-life assessment benefits ofinvesting in the enhanced envelopethermal performance, to reduce systemscapacity, with the potential to omitcertain systems entirely;

• careful design of building systems toreduce electrical demand;

• applying HM Govt Energy Efficiency BestPractice Programme EnergyConsumption Guides;

• well controlled and directed lighting,designed to reduce light pollution andpermit off-grid PV street lighting; and

• consistent reduced peak energy demand,which offers the potential for reducedsite-wide infrastructure investment needs.

Renewable Energy2.27 As development of King’s Cross Central

progresses, detailed consideration would begiven to the full range of active renewableenergy systems to review their suitability andcost effectiveness. An initial review of optionsindicates that:

• Solar electric photovoltaics (PV) offerconsiderable future potential, but currentlycarry a considerable cost premium,particularly as grant aid is limited fordevelopers. Recent experience suggests thatthe same funding can achieve considerablygreater carbon reduction through investmentin energy saving. Future-proofing buildingswould be explored to ensure that buildingscan, as far as practicable, later accept PV asit becomes viable. Likewise, demonstrationelements to increase public awareness of thetechnology would be investigated. Thesemay include off-grid powered streetappliances like streetlights, bus stops, andticket machines.

• Solar hot water collectors are likely to beviable for selected buildings but are expectedto contribute only a small proportion ofoverall development energy needs.

• Wind-generated electricity using buildingintegrated turbines may become acommercial possibility as the products nowin research start to enter the market.

• Biomass is a rapidly developing field with anumber of demonstration projects nowunderway. Most of this is relatively small-scale and so its applicability for a largedevelopment like King’s Cross Central wouldneed careful investigation.

• The use of electricity Green tariffs for thesupply of electricity from renewable sourcesis largely dependent on occupier choice.Changes in the tax system to makerenewable energy more competitive wouldencourage increased use of such sources. Inpractical terms this is likely to be the mostdeliverable source of significant renewableenergy into London. Current proposals formajor development of wind powergeneration in the Thames Estuary arerelevant in this context.

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2.28 On the basis of previous similar studies, it isanticipated that there is the potential forgenerating some 15% of the King’s CrossCentral energy needs from renewables, usingcurrently available technologies. A proportioncould be site-generated, but it is expected thatbecause of the high-density form and the extentof heritage buildings, the majority would berenewables generated off-site. One of theprimary issues for feasibility studies to address isthe current prohibitive cost of providing large-scale renewable energy systems.

2.29 Prioritising visible renewable energy systems isimportant. There is a need to increase widerpublic awareness of renewables and, throughthis, to improve their wider acceptance, andstimulate occupant demand for it in buildings.

Supply Efficiency2.30 There are a number of potential methods for

improving energy supply efficiency. Those whichare most relevant are:

• Combined Heat & Power (CHP) whichoffers the potential to reduce carbonemissions by simultaneously generatingheat and electricity. Particular care isneeded in matching its constant energyoutput against continually fluctuatingbuilding demands, particularly insummer. The potential for mini and microscale CHP plants to serve parts of thedevelopment would be explored;

• Combined Cooling, Heating & Power(CCHP) with the opportunity to usesurplus heat from CHP to deliver coolingto air-conditioned buildings. It tends towork best where there is use diversityacross a selection of served buildings;

• Energy Supply Companies (ESCOs) arespecialists who take responsibility fordelivering a range of energy-relatedservices. Often they operate CHP unitsand similar specialist plant, but they canoperate larger renewable systems locatedon-site or remotely, and manage thecomplete systems and the delivery ofenergy to consumers.

Woking Town Centre CHP District Energy Station - Thameswey Energy Ltd © Woking Borough Council

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Facilities Management Service2.31 The applicants are committed to providing an

energy information and monitoring service aspart of the site-wide management. During thedevelopment stage this would provide the keypoint of responsibility for initiating site-widefeasibility studies, establishing and refiningbenchmarks and targets, providing carbontargeting briefs for each of the buildings, andmonitoring and reviewing the individual buildingdesign energy proposals. The role would includeliaison with Camden and Islington BoroughCouncils and energy providers. Once thedevelopment was established, the role couldalso involve the operational services of an ESCO.The implementation of buildings-in-use energymonitoring and dissemination needs carefulresolution because data protection regulationsmean that site-wide management has noautomatic right to access, or use, energy datafrom occupants.

Fuel Poverty2.32 Fuel poverty and affordable energy for homes is

a key issue for the London Mayor. This is not aparticular issue for new build because energycosts and warmth thresholds are satisfied byBuilding Regulations requirements. Nonetheless,there might be some benefits in providingfurther enhanced energy performance for socialhousing provision. This principle is embodied inthe initial target for a 25% improvement overBuilding Regulations requirements.

2.33 The Housing Corporation Scheme DevelopmentStandards requirement in 2003/4 is for anEcoHomes ‘Pass’ rating with a ‘Good’ ratingbeing recommended. In 2005/6 they propose tomake the achievement of a ‘Good’ rating aminimum requirement with a ‘Very Good’ ratingbecoming a recommended item.

Heritage Buildings2.34 For heritage buildings there is often a conflict

between energy targets and the heritagerequirements. The balance between these wouldbe established in consultation with theplanning/building control authorities on abuilding-by-building basis. The Applicants wouldseek to meet energy targets unless there is clearadvice that the heritage aspects cannot beaccommodated and alternative mitigation is notpractical and cost-effective.

Future Proofing 2.35 King’s Cross Central should have the ability to

change with time in response to new standardsand targets for carbon emissions. Feasibilitystudies would consider the ability to addtechnologies as they become more cost-effectiveand proven. This may involve initially providingsome elements of infrastructure in anticipationof reasonable imminent future viability. Thiscould facilitate the application of more easilyadding centralised renewable technologies likefuel cells and mains hydrogen fuel, as theybecome available and cost-effective.

Public Awareness2.36 King’s Cross Central could play a major role in

raising public awareness of the importance ofenergy efficiency and renewable energy. Publicdemonstrations of, for example, PV in the publicrealm in the form of street furniture or similar,may in themselves contribute little to the overallenergy demand of the development.Nonetheless they may play an important part inincreasing the public and commercial demandfor low carbon technologies. The Applicantswould therefore look to include theseapplications within the early phases of King’sCross Central.

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3. Waste

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3.3 Although the Government acknowledges thathousehold waste is a relatively small part ofthe overall waste stream, annual growth is inthe order of 3% per annum and significantprogress must be made towards managing itmore sustainably if the EU requirements are tobe met. Waste Strategy 2000 estimates thatabout 9% of household waste is recycled anda further 8% has energy recovered from it.Waste Strategy 2000 sets challenging targetsto increase the recovery and recycling ofmunicipal waste as follows:

• to recover value from 40% of municipalwaste by 2005;

• to recover value from 45% of municipalwaste by 2010; and

• to recover value from 67% ofmunicipal waste by 2015.

3.4 ‘Recover’ in this context means to obtainvalue from wastes through one of thefollowing means:

• recycling;

• composting;

• other forms of material recovery (suchas anaerobic digestion); and

• energy recovery (combustion withdirect or indirect use of the energyproduced, manufacture of refuse-derived fuel, gasification, pyrolysis, orother technologies).

Introduction3.1 Minimising the amount of waste that society

produces is a key aim of policy at both theEuropean and the national level. For that wastewhich is produced, there is a requirement tosignificantly reduce the amount which is disposedof by way of landfill, and policy objectives aregeared towards maximising alternative wastemanagement options. These include re-use andrecovery of materials for beneficial use and as asubstitute for the use of virgin raw materials.King’s Cross Central offers a significantopportunity to contribute to these objectivesthrough design, the construction process, throughthe way that wastes are managed, and throughthe way residents and businesses are presentedwith options and opportunities.

Context3.2 In May 2000 the Government published Waste

Strategy 2000 (DEFRA, 2000) setting out itsanalysis of the waste management issues andchallenges facing the United Kingdom andputting forward its targets, goals and indicatorsfor meeting those. In order to meet obligations ofEuropean legislation, particularly the LandfillDirective (1993/31/EC) (EC, 2003), the amount ofbiodegradable municipal waste going direct tolandfill must be reduced. Taking into accountagreed derogations, the targets are:

• by 2010 to reduce biodegradable municipalwaste landfilled to 75% of that produced in1995;

• by 2013 to reduce biodegradable municipalwaste landfilled to 50% of that produced in1995; and

• by 2020 to reduce biodegradable municipalwaste landfilled to 35% of that produced in1995.

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3.5 Since an essential part of achieving themunicipal waste recovery targets set out above isa drive towards more household waste recyclingand composting, the following targets have alsobeen set:

• to recycle or compost at least 25% ofhousehold waste by 2005;

• to recycle or compost at least 30% ofhousehold waste by 2010; and

• to recycle or compost at least 33% ofhousehold waste by 2015.

3.6 Achievement of these targets is reinforcedthrough the publication of statutory Best Valueperformance measures for Waste DisposalAuthorities.

3.7 The Government’s approach to the achievementof the targets set out above is to use variousmeasures in combination. Key among these is theneed to change the perception of ‘waste’ fromthat of a problem to be dealt with to a resourceto be used. This involves an emphasis onawareness raising, through schools and otherinitiatives in the community, the identification ofnew markets for recycled material, and thebreaking down of the barriers to entry to thosemarkets. These initiatives are supported by fiscalpenalties on those producing and disposing ofwaste, such as the landfill tax escalator, and useof the Best Value regime to require wastecollection and disposal authorities to significantlyimprove their recycling and recovery performance.

3.8 The key players are identified as being existingbodies active in or responsible for waste issues,such as the waste management industry, theEnvironment Agency, business, and local andcentral government, and recently formedorganisations such as the Waste and ResourcesAction Programme (WRAP). It is recognised thatthe statutory plans prepared by regional and localauthorities have a critical role to play in settingthe agenda for delivery through newdevelopment where this is possible andappropriate.

3.9 London-wide, the Mayor of London hasdeveloped the national policy set out abovethrough the publication of two documents. Firstly,the Mayor has published a Municipal WasteManagement Strategy (MWMS) (GLA 2003b)which sets out the 2020 Vision for Waste,identifying where the city should be in 2020 withrespect to waste, and setting out an operationalstrategy for the period to 2005/2006.

3.10 The second document is the London Plan(GLA, 2004) which sets out the regionalplanning framework for London. Waste issuesare included in the cross cutting policies inChapter 4.

3.11 The MWMS is led by waste minimisation andrecycling. Waste reduction is to be promotedthrough the development of a WasteMinimisation Programme for London inpartnership with stakeholders in the businessand retail sectors in particular, and throughpromotion and education programmestargeted especially at school children. TheMWMS commits to recycle or compost at least25% of all household waste by 2005, at least30% by 2010 and at least 33% by 2015.

3.12 The London Plan reflects the land-useelements of the draft MWMS. Policy 4A.1includes the recycling targets set out above.Other policies set out the approach whichLondon Boroughs should take in reviewingtheir unitary development plans. Includedamong these are the need to identify suitablesites for new facilities such as Civic Amenitysites, construction and demolition wasterecycling sites, closed vessel composting, andrequiring the provision of suitable waste andrecycling storage facilities in all newdevelopments.

3.13 The London Boroughs of Camden andIslington have prepared a number ofdocuments, including unitary developmentplans and supplementary planning guidance,which set out their approach to themanagement of waste in the context of theregional policy framework set out by theMayor of London. A key document is theLondon Boroughs of Camden and IslingtonKing’s Cross Opportunity Area – Planning andDevelopment Brief (December 2003)which setsout specific guidance for the King’s CrossCentral development.

3.14 The Councils identify a need for newdevelopment to make provision for thestorage of recyclable material and to enable,through design and site layout, kerbsidecollection of segregated materials. In addition,the theme of waste as a resource is promotedin combination with the possible opportunitiesfor renewable energy provision through CHPschemes on a local scale.

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3.15 A considerable amount of promotional materialis available, aimed at raising awareness of thepartnership schemes established with thevoluntary and not-for-profit sectors to promotere-use and recycling initiatives within theresidential and the business communities. Theseare targeted at householders particularly, withadvice about how to minimise waste in the firstinstance through purchasing strategies and re-use, and guidance on how specific wastes canbe recycled.

The Development Proposals3.16 As a high density mixed-use development,

King’s Cross Central would include a range ofuses including business and employment,residential, hotels, retail, leisure and communityfacilities.

3.17 Waste would be generated by the developmentat two stages. Firstly, the construction of thedevelopment itself has the potential to generatesignificant volumes of waste. Secondly, the usersof and the visitors to the completeddevelopment would also generate waste, asphases become complete and occupied. Thewaste types that would be produced at King’sCross Central would include:

• construction and demolition waste;

• commercial and industrial waste;

• municipal solid waste;

• green waste; and

• waste from leisure uses.

3.18 The strategy for dealing with the wastegenerated at each of these two stages is set outbelow, following an initial consideration of theoverall strategy to be adopted.

Waste Management Strategy –Overall Concept

3.19 Within King’s Cross Central waste would begenerated within and from the developmentitself. Consistent with policy at national,London-wide and local level, waste would bemanaged according to the principles of BestPracticable Environmental Option (BPEO),regional self sufficiency, the proximity principleand the waste hierarchy.

3.20 The aim would be to:

• first, minimise the amount of wasteproduced; then

• re-use as much as possible of that which isproduced; then

• recover value from that waste which cannotbe re-used, for example, through recycling,composting and for energy from wasteschemes; and then

• dispose of residual waste through landfillingor incineration without energy recovery.

Waste Management Strategy –Construction Phases

3.21 The construction process uses primary materialsand requires the transportation of thosematerials to the site, and of construction anddemolition waste away from the site. Themajority, if not all, of the trips away from sitewould be by road. Although the waste strategyfor King’s Cross Central has as key objectives tominimise the use of primary materials andmaterial bearing trips, and to maximise non-road movements, in practical terms the scopefor achieving the latter would be limited.

3.22 Issues relating to use of sustainable constructionmaterials are addressed primarily in section 5.However a key to successful sustainabledevelopment is to incorporate this into thedesign from the outset, an approach advocatedby CABE (2003). Minimisation of wastewould be part of this process.

3.23 At its simplest, construction and demolitionwaste can be minimised through avoidancestrategies. The most obvious is to re-use,where practicable, existing buildings andstructures and to incorporate them into thescheme. This has been achieved at King’sCross Central, where a number of historicbuildings would be re-used within thedevelopment.

3.24 Where demolition of existing buildings andstructures is proposed, there is the potentialto salvage materials for re-use, either with orwithout further processing or treatment. Thiswould have the benefit of reducing therequirement for primary materials.

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3.27 Although the surplus material would need to beremoved from the King’s Cross Central site, theextent to which material of an appropriatequality may be used on other development sitesin the vicinity or elsewhere would beinvestigated from time to time. Alternatively,some of the material may be suitable as afeedstock for use in the nearby concretebatching plants. Any material which could notbe so used would be removed to landfill.

3.28 Whilst the previous paragraphs have dealtmainly with the waste which might arise fromdemolition and excavation, waste would also begenerated through construction, particularlythrough the on-site craft practices.

3.29 Packaging waste associated with the delivery ofconstruction materials can be a significant issue.In a development of the scale of King’s CrossCentral, the objective would be to usepurchasing power to either minimise the natureof such packaging, look at ways of re-usingpackaging, or to specify that it must be capableof being readily recycled.

3.26 Ideally, the aim would be to achieve, as far aspracticable, a materials balance across thedevelopment area as a whole. The phasednature of the proposals mean that it may bepracticable to reserve material for later use.This would generate a requirement formaterials storage and processing areas andthese would need to be identified. Even so,there would be an overall materials surplusacross the whole development which wouldneed to be removed from the site.

Recycling and Reusing Demolition Materials

At Brindleyplace over 1,850 square metres of granitepaving that was previously overlain by tarmacsurfacing was lifted, cleaned and relaid within thepublic realm.

At St George Wharf, Vauxhall St Georgecrushed a disused cold store, generatingaround 10,000 tons of crushed concrete,which was re-used for temporary roadsduring construction, and recycled about2,000 tons of steel.

At Riverside West they removed and recycled1 million litres oil.

3.25 The crushing and screening of materials wouldalmost certainly be required prior to their re-usewithin the development. This could be achievedeither through the use of mobile plant withindemolition areas or at a centralised processingand storage area.

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Waste Management Strategy - Useby Residents, Business and Visitors

3.32 King’s Cross Central would be a place where peoplewould live and work and which they would visit forshopping, culture and entertainment. It would be avibrant mixed-use area with the potential togenerate waste in many forms, including litter.

3.33 The strategy for waste management would be twostage. The first would be educational, promotingthe issues of waste minimisation and re-use andrecycling. The second would be development led,providing the practical opportunities to implementsustainable waste management practices.

3.34 The London Boroughs of Camden and Islingtonalready have well developed information aboutrecycling, re-use and ‘sustainable’ purchasingstrategies available in a variety of media. TheCouncils are proactive in promoting this importantmessage and target both households andbusinesses. Existing information includes:

• advice on waste avoidance through purchasing;

• re-use of unwanted items either directly orindirectly through charity shops;

• unwanted goods exchange;

• junk mail prevention measures;

• recycling services available;

• home composting;

• waste watch business network; and

• educational visits to schools, residential groupsand businesses.

3.30 Potentially, significant amounts of waste materialscould be generated from the craft industries in theform of off cuts of wood, bricks, steel, glass etc.Where practicable, this would be minimised throughpurchasing to precise specifications which may,where appropriate within the design and method ofprocurement, include a degree of pre-fabrication.

3.31 Where waste generation is inevitable, site managerswould ensure that it is collected and deposited insegregated containers to enable recycling eitherelsewhere on site or, more probably, throughprocessing off-site and subsequent re-use in otherproducts.

3.35 It would be important for the newcommunity at King’s Cross Central to haveaccess to this information from firstoccupation of the premises. Informationpacks would be made available, and regularfeedback sought on the success of schemesand suggestions for improvements. Giventhe duration of the project the advice andinformation process would inevitably evolveas development progresses. This wouldprovide the opportunity to include newinitiatives, and would enable best practice tobe incorporated as it is identified andevaluated.

3.36 Raising the awareness of waste as an issuemust be supported through design solutions,both in the public realm and within homes,businesses and leisure facilities, to enablesustainable waste management to beachieved.

3.37 Designs would help householders tosegregate and store waste into the variousstreams to be collected, as the wastecollection authorities’ residential collectionservice develop. Space would be providedfor general waste containers and forrecycling of cans, bottles, paper, plastics,textiles, etc. Storage areas would be secureand sited to be easily accessed by wastecollection vehicles.

3.38 Since homes are likely to have limited or nooutside storage space, secure communalrecycling storage areas would be madeavailable. Within homes, space could beprovided to store small amounts ofsegregated, non biodegradable, waste priorto transfer to the appropriate communalcontainers. Alternatively, chute systemscould be installed directly feeding the wastecontainers.

3.39 Within the commercial and leisure buildingsit would be equally important to design inadequate waste segregation and storageareas.

3.40 These are clearly matters of detailed design,and throughout the period of design andconstruction of King’s Cross Central,flexibility would exist to incorporateemerging best practice as each phase of theproject was brought forward.Recycling strategies are now incorporated into

all St George’s major schemes for bothresidents’ and business’ waste.

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Minimising and RecyclingConstruction WasteArgent uses a high degree of pre-fabrication,which cuts down considerably on primarymaterial and packaging waste. Examples ofwhere pre-fabrication has proven particularlysuccessful are in façades, mechanical andelectrical systems, and fully constructedwashroom units.

3.41 Within the public realm, waste containers wouldbe provided at key locations in appropriatenumbers. Particularly in the entertainment areasand near fast food outlets, appropriate sizedcontainers would be provided and emptiedfrequently. The public should have theopportunity to segregate their waste in thepublic realm which requires appropriatelydesigned and clearly signed containers.

3.42 The Site Management Company is likely to havean important role in street cleaning and littercollection in public areas, and for maintenanceof landscape areas. Wherever practicable, thewastes collected would be appropriatelysegregated for recycling or composting.

3.43 An important element in the success of thewaste management strategy would bemonitoring the effectiveness of the measuresintroduced in the early phases and learningfrom experience. The context for this evaluationis the milestones set out in the National WasteStrategy for the years 2005, 2010 and 2015(see para 3.5 above) and the London Mayor’sview that these targets can be exceeded for2010 and 2015.

3.44 King’s Cross Central gives the opportunity toimplement simple and progressive wastemanagement practices. In their collectionservices the Councils may wish to monitor thevolumes of segregated and un-segregatedwastes that are collected, evaluate the resultsand decide whether there are any specific issuesthat warrant further attention. For example,they could monitor the extent to whichrecyclables were being segregated appropriately,and to review/develop the education programsand/or design solutions for later phasesaccordingly.

3.45 The King’s Cross Opportunity Area – Planningand Development Brief (para 3.4.34) suggeststhat an area of land between the CTRL and theNorth London Line (the ‘Linear Land’) maypresent opportunities to incorporate new wastemanagement facilities which may include, forexample, clean bulking facilities. This will beexamined further and is the subject of ongoingfeasibility studies.

St George has a collaborative tradingagreement with British Gypsum includingwaste minimisation by pre-cutting materials inthe factory and special recycling arrangementsto handle any wasted product. At AlderCastle, Argent’s minimised plasterboardwastage through design by using planninggrids that reduced non-standard dimensions,avoiding off-cuts.

In general, St George have special skips onsite for timber to be recycled into pulpedor chipped products. They are alsopioneering decontamination and trenchingtechnologies and have established greywater recycling.

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4. Water Supply and Surface Water Disposal

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4.4 The suggested quantitative water savings aretentative, reflecting a general lack of actualwater use-monitoring & targeting, and apparentwide variation in consumption betweenindividual consumers. This situation is reinforcedby a lack of incentive because of water’srelatively low cost, and a lack of legislative limitson consumption.

4.5* It has been agreed with Thames Water Utilities,the incumbent drainage authority, that theprinciple of restricting proposed storm and foulflows to the existing maximum combined flowfrom the same area of the site would beacceptable. Following a hydraulic studyundertaken in conjunction with Thames Water,the maximum allowable or “existing” combinedflow from the site to existing combined sewershas been accepted as 2547 l/s. Thisapproach is often referred to as “theprinciple of equivalent discharge”.

4.6* As part of the development proposals it isproposed, in accordance with sustainabilityobjectives, and in particular sustainabledrainage scheme (SuDS) principles, to reducethe total combined flow to the existingcombined sewers by 10% below the agreed“existing” discharge from the site. Theproposed maximum combined storm andfoul peak discharge from the site to theexisting combined sewers would thereforenot exceed 2292 l/s.

* Paras 4.5 and 4.6 above relate to the Main Site development.In addition, the new drainage infrastructure provided withinthe Triangle Site would achieve a stormwater discharge tothe existing sewers 10% less than the existing maximumallowable discharge, calculated on the principle of equivalentdischarge (74 l/s). The new drainage infrastructure would bedesigned such that peak discharge from the Triangle Site tothe existing sewers would not exceed 67 l/s. Foul waterdischarge would be to the York Way sewer.

Introduction4.1 One of the consequences of climate change is

its impact on water supply and management.Summer rainfall is likely to reduce and winterrainfall likely to increase together with thelikelihood of flash flooding. This is compoundedby demand for more water, at higher deliveredquality, and with reduced environmental impactfor the treated discharges.

4.2 The imperative for better water management ismoving higher up the political and economicagendas year on year. Whilst formal legislationdoes not yet include enforcement of specifictargets, planning authorities are keen to seeapplicants demonstrate that every effort is madeto minimise the impact on water resources andthe aquatic environment.

4.3 The Applicants would look to include specificmeasures and water economy features toenable potable water consumption to bereduced within the King's Cross Central designproposals. Given the difficulties in evaluating theeffectiveness of water economy features, theApplicants would use the BREEAM / EcoHomesmethodology and target at least 40% of thepotable water consumption credits available.This approximates to about a 20 to 30%reduction on typical water consumption.

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Context4.7 The London Plan refers to the protection and

conservation of water supplies. A range ofmeasures to secure London’s needs is set out.These are:

• ensuring that adequate sustainable waterresources are available for major newdevelopment;

• minimising the use of treated water;

• maximising rainwater harvestingopportunities;

• using grey water recycling systems;

• reaching cost-effective minimum leakagelevels; and

• keeping under review the need foradditional sources of water supply.

4.8 King’s Cross Central is a constrained site andwould have a high building density as well as asignificant proportion of retained heritagebuildings. The remaining land available for thehandling and treatment of bulk water wouldconsequently be limited. Thus the emphasiswould likely to be on investigating ways that thepublicly accessible areas could have improvedwater handling, and on individual site enhancedwater management. The canal also offers apotential opportunity to become an integratedpart of the development’s water cycle.

4.9 Using Eco-Footprinting and similar environmentalassessment methods indicates a comparativelysmall impact for water consumption comparedto energy and other aspects. This is because ofthe relative abundance of water in the UK.Nonetheless, the locally available water sourcesare reaching their limits against a continuingincrease in demand. Thus the level of resourceinput and the overall environmental impact ofwater supply and treatment is likely to rapidlyrise in future.

Market Influences4.10 Society expects and demands good quality

water. On an individual basis people are gettingused to the fact that the cost of water isexpected to rise appreciably year on year ashigher investment goes into repairing an aginginfrastructure, improving the quality consistency,and to satisfy increasing demand. As yet thisexpectation does not translate into anexpectation or willingness to pay a premium forbuildings that have enhanced water efficiency.There is no current evidence that waterefficiency makes a building more desirable forthe broad range of potential occupiers. This maychange over the programme for King’s CrossCentral completion, but at present it does notappear to be a market driver.

4.11 A building’s actual water consumption, likeenergy, is largely governed by how individualbuilding occupants decide to fit-out, use andmanage their building. How they do this tendsto vary widely with the consequence that thereare only indicative average water consumptionbenchmarks available for selected buildingtypes. This means that, at present, waterconsumption targeting and verification is farfrom a defined science.

4.12 Recent experience of implementing treatedrecycled water schemes has illustrated concernswithin the industry about current UK water-quality liability issues. Unlike some othercountries, the UK public does not have anawareness and an acceptance that piped watercould be of different quality standards.Consequently, to minimise the perceived risk oflitigation when asked to adopt these systems,the water utilities are suggesting that recycledwater either has to be cleaned to (almost)potable water quality, or its non-potable usesmust be limited to those where there is nodirect contact with people. This would preclude,for example, recycled greywater use for aboveground irrigation, or rainwater use for washingclothes, as is more generally applied inGermany. There is, of course, the possibility thatwater company attitudes and perceptions maychange over time.

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Application Methodology4.13 Economy in use of water would inform the

brief for the design and fit-out of buildingswith the aim of reducing overall waterenvironmental impact. Building briefs wouldspecifically require the consideration ofwater saving, recycling and supply options.When constructing the base build ofspeculative office and residential buildings,the Applicants would employ good practicein the consideration of water consumption.The future management of water use wouldthen be the responsibility of tenants orresidential occupants, but they wouldgenerally not be expected to totally removethe base systems.

4.14 The feasibility of a range of waterconservation and management optionswould be considered as part of the designprocess. These are outlined below.

Reduced Demand4.15 Various water efficiency measures can be

implemented in order to reduce demand formains water consumption. Water efficiencyleads to reduced impacts associated with itssupply and disposal, including energy, (c.0.5kWh per cubic metre of water supplied),chemicals, carbon emissions and use ofresources. The following measures would beconsidered as part of the ongoing designprocess to establish the most cost effectmeans of achieving the water consumptiontarget reductions:

Residential

• outlet flow limiters;

• low flush toilets;

• short final run-outs for domestic hotwater; and

• grade ‘A’ domestic appliances.

Commercial

• as residential list above;

• tenant sub-metering;

• waterless urinals;

• water saving criteria for choice of watersystems ‘blow-down’;

• water saving criteria for choice ofcooling towers drift and watertreatments;

• Passive Infra Redauto-control tapswhere appropriate;and

• water saving criteriafor choice of fit-out appliances.

4.16 Reducing demand for water has the effect ofreducing the volume of used water to besubsequently handled, treated and disposed of.In particular, where foul water is discharged tosewers, it reduces the required capacity of thesewer system and reduces the peak capacityneeded at remote treatment works. Hencereducing the need for water has a doublebenefit of reducing the resource use, includingenergy, of both supply and effluent discharge.

Non-potable Supplies4.17 A water conservation strategy relies on the

effective supply of water of suitable quality.Traditionally in the UK this has all been atthe one potable quality level. There arepotential alternatives to this, which involvedelivery of water at different quality levelsfor different uses. Often these have asecondary benefit of reducing dischargevolumes of wastewater to conventional fouland surface water sewers. These potentialalternatives include:

• groundwater abstraction;

• greywater recycling;

• blackwater recycling; and

• rainwater harvesting.

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4.18 It may not be technically or economicallyfeasible to employ some of these systemscentrally. However, it may be possible to usethem on a small scale, either locally orwidespread, to provide a sustainable watersource to a group of buildings or to a singlebuilding.

Groundwater Abstraction

4.19 King’s Cross Central is underlain by a waterholding chalk aquifer, which continuesthroughout London, and has historicallycomprised the city’s main source of water. Theability to extract enough water is a function ofthe local chalk depth and water conveyingfissures within the chalk, as well as the waterquality.

4.20 Abstraction boreholes are subject to licensingfrom the Environment Agency. Each proposal isassessed on its individual merits and detailedanalysis of its impact on other existing localabstraction points. Establishing the actualviability of individual boreholes involves itsdrilling, opening up of the fissures (boreholedevelopment), and then pumping yield tests.The involvement of a licenced utility to operatethe borehole is needed to provide for thepotable water liability expectations of the endconsumers. This is of course subject to reachingsatisfactory commercial arrangements with alicensed utility.

Greywater Recycling

4.21 With a relatively high proportion of residentialland use, a significant supply of relatively lightlycontaminated waste ‘greywater’ could besourced from showers and baths.

4.22 It should be noted however, that the extensiveuse of greywater requires substantial additionalinfrastructure both within the buildings andexternally. Given the low cost of water and theexpense of additional greywater equipment atpresent, greywater recycling rarely proves to bean economical solution.

Blackwater Recycling

4.23 Water from flushing WCs and from kitchensinks is termed blackwater. To recycle blackwaterrequires a high degree of treatment andtherefore resource consumption, largely due toits high organic and chemical content. Thevolume of potentially available blackwater islikely to be comparable to the volume ofgreywater, and could be combined and treatedsufficiently to serve a proportion of non-potablewater demands within the development.

4.24 The extra resources needed and the risksincurred in treating blackwater, with its faecalelement, are considerable, and would need tobe rigorously assessed to ensure reliability andsustainability justification. The current liabilityposition probably means that unless the water istreated to potable standards, it cannot be usedwhere it could come into direct contact withpeople, for example for above ground irrigation.The involvement of a licenced utility with theexperience to operate such systems would berequired. Even so, blackwater re-use is unlikelyto prove feasible at a large scale on a multi-tenancy site with limited land availability for thetreatment infrastructure.

Rainwater Harvesting

4.25 Rainwater can be collected, stored and, withvirtually no treatment, used for non-potableuses. Ideally, the rainwater should be collecteddirectly from roofs to minimise its contaminationand so reduce the treatment needs and cost ofoperation. Overall, the potential for recyclingrainwater across King’s Cross Central is likely tobe limited due to the relatively high density ofthe development and the low annual rainfall inthis region of the UK. It may be possible toserve 5 to 10% of the development’s non-potable demand from rainwater harvesting.

4.26 Where rainwater recycling has been successfullyimplemented, it is normally related to directcapture of roof rainwater, its local storage, anduse in the immediate building or site. As such,the potential for rainwater recycling would beconsidered on a site-by-site / phase by phasebasis, to establish its suitability and viability. Itshould be noted that rainwater collection is notcompatible with ‘Green’ vegetation roofs.

4.27 Rainwater could be used as part of a separatesystem to provide water for private and estateirrigation at King’s Cross Central.

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Supply System 4.28 The applicants have tested the feasibility of a

new conventional mains supply of potablewater to satisfy the full demand of all useswithin the development and this option isreflected in the Development SpecificationParameter Plans. However, the site offers thepotential of using the canal as a source ofwater, for example to mitigate mains demand.The use of the canal would allow a reduction inthe resource consumption needed for thedelivery of water to the site. The quality of thecanal water would be investigated to establishthe feasibility of its treatment and use.

4.29 Initial discussions have taken place with licensedutilities for the potential use of the canal as awater resource. Its viability would depend ondetailed technical investigations and agreementof appropriate licensing and commercial terms.There are other users other than King’s CrossCentral along the canal who could potentiallyuse the canal water and hence comprehensiveagreements would need to be in place to ensurefuture water source reliability.

Sustainable Drainage Systems(SUDS)

4.30 The treatment of storm run-off would followcurrent guidelines on sustainable design in highdensity, central locations. The intention is tocontrol the timing and volume of flows toacceptable standards. As explained at paragraph4.6, it is proposed to reduce the total combinedflow to the existing combined sewers by 10%below the agreed “existing” discharge from thesite. The proposed maximum combined stormand foul peak discharge from the site to theexisting combined sewers would not exceed2292 l/s.

4.31 It is also the intention to improve the quality ofwater run-off from the developed site. Thiswould take into account the expected increasein peak run-off as a result of changing rainfallpatterns. The potential range of methods, to beinvestigated further, is in part determined by thetopography, soil properties and developmentlayout. Requirements for any special groundsurface finishes would be subject to agreementswith local authorities. The range of potentialtechniques includes landscape features used toimprove the quality of the run-off.

Infiltration

4.32 Run-off can be reduced in quantity, and itsquality improved, by returning it to groundwaterby infiltration. With much of the site beingmade-up ground or heritage buildings theextent to which rainwater can be returned toshallow groundwater, or minor aquifers,through infiltration is likely to be limited. Inaddition, ground contamination issues wouldneed careful consideration.

Retention

4.33 The quality of run-off can be increased greatlyby retention in an on-site water body forsufficient time. The development wouldconsider the potential for water body elements,although this has to be balanced against theimpetus for a high density of buildings and thehistoric environment.

Filtration

4.34 The quality of run-off can be improved also bypassing flows through simple wetlands featuresor engineered reedbeds. These methods areunlikely to have widespread applicability atKing’s Cross due to the nature and density ofthe urban landscape. Nevertheless,opportunities to incorporate filtration featuresinto the storm water system would beinvestigated.

Attenuation

4.35 The use of attenuation would be incorporatedwhere appropriate to avoid any increase in siterun-off compared with existing quantities. Thisis particularly the case where there are increasedareas of managed impermeable hard landscapeincreasing the volume of rainwater run-offreaching the drainage system. The hydrology ofthe canal would be a key factor in determiningthe quantity and timing of peak discharge flowsfrom the site. Close consultation with theEnvironment Agency would be undertaken toagree and then implement a scheme that iseffective with an appropriate minimum impact.

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5. Construction Materials

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5.6 At present over 90% of non-energy relatedminerals extracted in the UK are used asconstruction materials. Currently 360 milliontonnes of materials are used in constructioneach year, and around 70 million tonnes ofconstruction and demolition wastes areproduced, of which 13 million tonnes areunused construction materials (BRE 2002).

5.7 Central Government has introduced a series oflegal and market instruments that areintended to influence and shape the selectionand use of materials:

• Landfill tax – inert wastes deposited in alandfill are now subject to a tax of £14 pertonne which is intended to rise to £15 pertonne in April 2004.

• Climate Change Levy - a tax on energyfrom carbon sources that is payable by allsectors throughout the UK.

• Aggregates Levy – from April 2002, theextraction and use of primary aggregatehas been taxed in order to encourage there-use and recycling of materials. About17% of all aggregates used in 1999 wererecycled; the Government’s aim is toincrease this figure to 25% by 2006.

5.8 The London Plan includes several policiesrelevant to materials selection and use.

5.9 Policy 4A.4 sets a standard of 80% re-useof demolition waste materials, and 60% re-use of that waste as aggregates in Londonby 2011.

Introduction5.1 Sourcing and use of construction materials are

important considerations in the environmentalsustainability of development. Choices ofconstruction materials and practices adoptedon site make important contributions tosafeguarding the environment.

5.2 The scale of the King’s Cross Central projectmeans that large volumes of materials wouldbe consumed during construction. In order topromote and adopt the principles ofsustainability, materials usage should becomeless linear and move towards a more cyclicpattern, whereby waste materials are usedextensively, and buildings and other elementsof the development are designed for future re-use and recycling

5.3 This section explains the strategy for theselection and use of construction materials andexplains how realistic targets would be set.

Context5.4 In 1994 approximately 30% of UK industrial

energy was consumed annually for themanufacture and transportation of buildingmaterials. This figure representedapproximately 10% of overall UK energyconsumption (CIRIA, 1994).

5.5 Reductions in energy expended on theproduction of building materials represent anopportunity for manufacturers to help the UKcontribute to reducing the emissions of carbondioxide. EC and UK commitments to improveenergy efficiency are outlined in Section 2.

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5.10 Policy 4A.5 supports Policy 4A.4 by requiringthat UDPs should:

• identify and safeguard aggregate resourcessuitable for extraction;

• adopt the highest environmental standardsfor aggregates extraction in line withNational Minerals Policy Guidance;

• support the development of aggregaterecycling facilities in appropriate andenvironmentally acceptable locations, withmeasures to reduce noise, dust and visualintrusion to a practical minimum;

• safeguard wharves with an existing or futurepotential for aggregates handling and ensureadjacent development is designedaccordingly to minimise the potential forconflicts of use and disturbance;

• protect existing railhead capacity to handleand process aggregates; and

• minimise the movement of aggregates byroad.

5.11 Policy 4B.6 states that the Mayor will, andboroughs should, ensure future developmentsmeet the highest standards of sustainabledesign and construction including re-use of landand buildings, and conservation of materials.

5.12 Camden Council, in Policy EN12 of the adoptedCamden UDP, and in Supplementary PlanningGuidance (SPG) (July 2002) seeks to encouragethe selection and use of materials that cause theleast environmental harm.

5.13 The London Boroughs of Camden and IslingtonKing’s Cross Opportunity Area Planning &Development Brief (December 2003) includesconsideration of materials selection and use.Para 3.4.24. states that materials for newdevelopments:

“ ... should be chosen carefully, taking intoaccount both aesthetic qualities, noisereduction and insulation properties,recycled content and whole life impacts.For example, the Councils would expectmaterials specifications to promote the useof timber from sustainable sources, lowPVC and VOC materials, including paints,pipes and ducting.”

5.14 At para 3.4.34 the brief calls for thepromotion and use of sustainable materialswithin developments.

5.15 Islington Borough Council, in Chapter 3Environment Section 3.1.2 of the AdoptedIslington UDP discusses Policy StatementsENV1 and EN2 which address the issues ofnew development, and states thatwherever possible buildings should be seen:

“ ... in a wide context that extendsbeyond the functional requirementsof the immediate users, to includesuch matters as:

... use of environmentally friendlybuilding materials.”

5.16 In August 2003 Islington Council publishedtheir Supplementary Planning GuidanceGreen Construction Consultation draft.This SPG recommends (Section 2.2) thatgreen materials should be considered andselected at the design stages and sets outguidance as to how this can be achieved.

Relevant Considerations5.17 The selection and use of construction

materials should take into account thewhole life cycle of the materials.

5.18 Thus, consideration has to be given tomaterials in their unrefined raw state, theinputs to refining the material, the outputsof the refinement process, thetransportation of the material to the site,the storage and handling on site, the useof the material, and ultimately the fate ofthe material as a waste.

5.19 The environmental issues that are relevantto construction materials, and which aretaken into account in the assessment ofthe sustainability of construction, are setout below (based on BRE 2000).

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5.20 Air pollution including:

• climate change caused by the release intothe atmosphere of “greenhouse gases” suchas carbon dioxide and methane;

• ozone depletion caused by release ofcertain halogenated gases which damagethe stratospheric ozone layer;

• acid deposition arising from the release ofgases such as sulphur oxides, ammonia, andnitrogen oxides; and

• summer smog (photochemical smog andlow level ozone generation) caused by thebuild up of gases such as nitrogen oxidesand volatile organic compounds (commonpollutants from road traffic).

5.21 Water pollution, particularly eutrophication asa result of the addition of nutrients such asphosphates and nitrates which can over-enrichaquatic ecosystems.

5.22 Resource depletion including:

• Fossil fuel depletion – our primary fuelsfor transport and power generation;

• Minerals extraction – the prime concernbeing the environmental impacts associatedwith the extraction process; and

• Water extraction – over extraction of waterresources is an increasing concern.

5.23 Land pollution particularly as a result ofdisposal of construction waste to landfill.

5.24 Ecological damage including:

• Ecotoxicity – toxic materials damagingecosystems; and

• Human toxicity – as a result of the releaseof heavy metals and other potentially toxicmaterials into the environment.

Application5.25 Having identified the environmental issues

associated with the selection and use ofconstruction materials, this section sets out astrategy for selection and purchasing of thosematerials.

Materials and Purchasing Strategy

5.26 The Applicants’ materials and purchasingstrategy would be based upon three principles:

• The first principle focuses on best practiceon site, specifically addressing reducingmaterial usage, use of recycled materials,and waste minimisation (see also Section 3,Waste).

• The second principle focuses on suitabledesign with the intention of promotingsustainable techniques and principles.

• The final principle is that materials selectionshould follow a hierarchy based onsustainability criteria.

5.27 The strategy would act as a guide tocontractors, designers and others on theprinciples of reducing material impacts on theenvironment and would lead to specificationclauses and targets for all designers, contractorsand suppliers. The strategy would ensure thatmaterials are an important consideration indesign and long-term operation.

5.28 Any strategy must be able to cope withchanging tastes, markets, practices,technologies and requirements. It musttherefore be flexible. Whilst the objectives ofenvironmentally sustainable development arewell defined, the mechanisms to achieve thegoals, and set the targets, have to be responsiveand adaptable.

Best Practice in the King’s Cross CentralDevelopment

5.29 In undertaking the King’s Cross Centraldevelopment the following issues would beconsidered:

5.30 Reduce volume of materials used - Byactively considering the volumes of materialsrequired as part of the structural designprocess, and by selecting appropriateloading criteria, the amount and types ofmaterial required for a structure can besignificantly reduced. Loading criteria wouldbe reviewed for each building type and usewithin the development.

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Material EfficiencyAt St George’s Wharf and Imperial Wharf, St George usedflat slab concrete frames minimising scaffolding, reducingwaste by 8-10% and taking half the time to build.

5.31 Use recycled material - Where practicable,materials from those buildings, structures andother surfaces which must be demolished inorder to implement the development would besalvaged for re-use or recycled. Materialssuitable for a specification of a higher thanusual recycled content include concrete,aggregates (concrete and brick present on sitecould be recycled into aggregate for hardcore),aluminium, timber board products, plasterboardand carpet.

5.32 Minimise waste - Waste generation isinevitable in any construction project. Howeverwith careful design to ensure a reduction in theamount of off-cuts, good on site housekeepingin terms of suitable storage of materials, wastestream segregation and recycling, it is possibleto reduce volumes. Waste management isconsidered in greater detail in Section 3.

5.33 Use impact reduction methodologies – It ispossible to assess a structure using techniquessuch as consideration of embodied energy (thecomponents of embodied energy being themanufacturing, the transportation and thedisposal energy), life cycle analysis, BREEAMassessment (assesses overall buildingperformance) and the Ecopoints scheme. A UKEcopoint score is a measure of the overallenvironmental impact of a particular product orprocess. These techniques provide insight intothe potential environmental impacts of astructure throughout its life and provide astimulus to reduce those impacts.

Dry forms of construction were employed,which improve energy efficiency andincrease speed of production.

Key Performance Indicators at St George’sWharf demonstrate savings of 16% inprogramme time and a reduction inoperative days by 39% for the concreteframe whilst defects were halved from 8to 4 per dwelling.

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5.34 Design for adaptability and flexibility -Installed flexibility and adaptability within thedesign of commercial buildings allows for agreater degree of freedom in terms of their useand re-use. This can be achieved by designfeatures such as higher floor-to ceiling heightsand larger column spacing. When trying toincorporate flexibility into designs, the needs ofoccupiers is a major consideration. Featuressuch as easily movable partitions within officesenable changes to be made in response to theneeds of occupiers. There are alsoenvironmental benefits in terms of reducedimpacts from repeated refurbishment.

5.35 Design for future deconstruction and re-use - the component parts of structures shouldbe clearly labelled (grade, mill certificate etc) tohelp identify the suitability of material for re-use. The use of modular components in adesign can also facilitate future use. The use ofjoining techniques that can be undone easilywithout damaging the components also offerslong-term benefits.

5.36 Criteria for material selection - anenvironmental preference should be devisedwhen costs and specification are equal for likematerials.

Soft Landscaping

5.40 Soil production may be possible during the earlystages of the development after demolition iscomplete. An area of the site could be set asidefor the production of topsoil and sub-soils foruse in areas of landscaping. Cost savings couldbe made from producing soils on site. Therewould be environmental benefits from not usingimported soils which could be used elsewhere,and transport impacts would be avoided. Topsoilcan be made from site-won subsoil and crushedrubble combined with organic composts, greencomposts and organic waste streams. Theresulting soil is not initially as well structured asan imported topsoil, but can support andmaintain vegetation. If the constructed topsoil ismanaged carefully and creatively a natural soilstructure would be established relatively quickly.

Hard Landscaping

5.41 Materials for hard-scape would be selectedtaking into account the criteria for buildingmaterials previously outlined in this section.Where practicable, reclaimed aggregates fromdemolition would be used. The saving intransportation and disposal costs of demolitionwastes, together with the purchase andtransportation costs of new materials, shouldoutweigh the costs of the crushing operation.The recycled aggregate could be used forhardcore, backfill, hard standings etc, whileother recycled and reclaimed materials could beused in the road sub-base, topping etc.

5.42 The possibilities for the marketing and saleof any reclaimed, recycled and reusablematerials that can’t be used in of theconstruction of the King’s Cross Centralshould be explored.

Landscape Construction andManagement

5.37 Landscape provision across the site wouldfollow the materials use and purchasingstrategy. It should be possible to useappropriate materials that have been recoveredor recycled in the landscaping on site. Both softand hard landscaping would adopt asustainable approach.

5.38 The Applicants intend to re-use historic surfacesreclaimed from site areas, wherever practicable,as part of the landscape strategy. Landscapeworks across the site would take into accountconservation and heritage requirements.

5.39 The possibilities for the marketing and sale ofany reclaimed, recycled and reusable materialsthat can’t be used in redevelopment at King’sCross Central would be explored.

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Establishing Targets5.43 The future delivery of the King’s Cross Central

strategy must consider future building standardsand industrial best practice. This means thattargets have to be flexible, be based on simplepractical and enduring themes, be measurable,and reflect the strategies ultimate goals. It isimportant that the measures proposed arecapable of being delivered by the applicant. Forthis reason, the Applicants have identifiedtargets based to a considerable extent on theBREEAM standards (as outlined in Section 1)applied at the design and specification stageand consistent with achieving the overall ‘VeryGood’, aspiring to ‘Excellent’ rating.

5.44 The Applicants would use the BREEAMassessment as the mechanism to set targets forconstruction materials. Points are available forachieving each of the targets listed below. TheApplicants, in committing to achieve BREEAM‘Very Good’, and aspiring to ‘Excellent’, wouldseek to obtain as many points as possible foreach building through achieving these targets,consistent with achieving other targets set inthis Environmental Sustainability Strategy:

• For like materials when other considerationsare equal, 80% of all high mass elements(external walls, roofs, upper floors) wouldattain an “A” rating under the BREEAMstandard.

• For like materials when other considerationsare equal, 80% of all medium and low masselements (floor finishes and coverings,internal walls and partitioning, suspendedceilings and finishes, doors) would attain an“A” rating under the BREEAM standard.

• For like materials when other considerationsare equal, 80% of all other elements(internal paints, insulation, hard landscaping)would attain an ‘A’ rating under theBREEAM standard.

• The remaining 20% of each of the abovethree categories of materials would attain a‘B’ rating under the BREEAM standard forlike materials when other considerations areequal.

• At least 50% of all aggregate used on thesite would come from reclaimed materialsand sources.

• All suitable aggregate from the demolitionof buildings would be used on site.

• All materials such as paints, sealants andflame retardants would where practicable bewater based, non toxic and should notcontain VOCs (volatile organic compounds).

• The use of chemically treated timber wouldbe kept to a minimum, and where possibleenvironmentally friendly timber treatmentswould be used.

• All timber products would be fromsustainable sources and would be identifiedby a recognised eco label such as the FSC(Forestry Stewardship Council) logo so far aspracticable.

• No ozone depleting chemicals would beused during the construction of King’s CrossCentral.

• All textile based floor finishes and coveringswould use natural fibres sourced fromsustainable sources.

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6. Implementation of the Strategy

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Code of Construction Practice6.4 The Code of Construction Practice for the

development would set the environmentalframework for each construction contract, andwould incorporate relevant planning conditionsand other environmental requirements andconstraints that may be imposed or otherwiseadopted through the planning process. EachContract would include a ConstructionEnvironmental Management Plan which wouldfollow the framework set by the code.

The Environmental ManagementSystem (EMS)

6.5 The EMS for King’s Cross Central would alsoincorporate relevant planning conditions andother environmental requirements andconstraints that may be imposed or otherwiseadopted through the planning process.

6.6 The EMS would be reviewed and developedso that, following construction, it wouldcontinue to provide a framework withinwhich environmental issues can beeffectively managed during the occupationand use of the buildings.

6.7 The EMS would be modelled on theinternational standard ISO 14001‘Environmental management systems –Specification with guidance for use’. Itwould be integrated with other projectmanagement systems; for example qualityassurance, risk management, and healthand safety.

Introduction6.1 This section explains the mechanisms which

would be established to ensure the successfulimplementation of the King’s Cross CentralEnvironmental Sustainability Strategythroughout the processes of design,construction and operation. The Applicants arefully committed to this EnvironmentalSustainability Strategy and would be responsiblefor driving its implementation down through thesupply chain from the outset.

6.2 Relevant environmental requirements for theconstruction phase are defined in a Code ofConstruction Practice. This would set theparameters for the Construction EnvironmentalManagement Plans which would be arequirement of construction contracts. In thelonger term, as the elements of thedevelopment are built out, the ongoing estatemanagement of the completed sections of thedevelopment would include an EnvironmentalManagement System.

6.3 These documents would address theenvironmental issues considered in this report.They may also include measures related toheritage buildings and townscape, biodiversity,noise, air quality, ground remediation, andtransport.

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Applicants’ Commitments6.8 The key commitments made by the applicants

in the context of this EnvironmentalSustainability Strategy for King’s Cross Centralare as follows:

• The Applicants are committed to thedevelopment and implementation of aCode of Construction Practice whichwould set the framework for the individualConstruction Environmental ManagementPlans for each construction Contract.

• The Applicants are committed to theimplementation of a comprehensiveEnvironmental Management System (EMS)which would cover the post-constructionestate management activities at King’sCross Central in the long term. The EMSwould be modelled on ISO14001.

• The remit of the EMS would include allthose areas addressed in thisEnvironmental Sustainability Strategy. Itmay also cover other issues addressedwithin the Environmental Statement andthe Green Travel Plan. In particular the EMSwould include:

- energy reduction strategy;

- sustainable waste strategy;

- sustainable water strategy; and

- materials use and purchasing strategy.

• The responsibility for maintaining the EMSwould fall on the Applicants and theestate management company whichwould be set up to manage the King’sCross Central estate.

6.9 Recognising that the commercial climate withinwhich the principles of environmentalsustainability must be applied is changing asbusinesses and their investors becomeincreasingly aware of environmental issues, andas Government Policy and fiscal measures comeincreasingly to the fore, the Applicants’ wouldactively promote awareness of the issuesaddressed in this Environmental SustainabilityStrategy to those seeking to commission /purchase and / or occupy new buildings.

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References

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BRE (2000) The Green Guide to HousingSpecification. AnEnvironmental ProfilingSystem for Building Materialsand Components

BRE (2002) The Green Guide toSpecification

BRE (various) Building ResearchEstablishment EnvironmentalAssessment Method(BREEAM) Various Editions forDifferent Building Types

CABE (2003) Creating Excellent Buildings -A Guide for Clients

CIRIA (1994) Environmental Assessment -Report SP096

DEFRA (2000) Waste Strategy 2000 forEngland and Wales

EC (2003) The Landfill Directive (CouncilDirective 1993/31/EC)

GLA (2003a) The Mayor’s Draft EnergyStrategy - Green Light toClean Power

GLA (2003b) The Mayor’s Draft MunicipalWaste Management Strategy -Rethinking Rubbish in London

GLA (2004) The London Plan

H M Govt (2001) Planning Policy Guidance (PPG) 13 -Transport

H M Govt (2002) Building Regulations ApprovedDocument Part L

H M Govt (2003) Energy White Paper: Our EnergyFuture – Creating a Low CarbonEconomy

H M Govt (2003) Planning Policy Statement (PPS) 22:Renewable Energy

LB Camden (2000) Unitary Development Plan

LB Camden (2002) Supplementary Planning Guidance

LB Camden (2002) Unitary Development Plan Chapter13 King’s Cross Opportunity AreaPublic Local Inquiry - Inspector’sReport

LB Camden (2003) Deposit Draft UnitaryDevelopment Plan

LB Camden andIslington (2003) King’s Cross Opportunity Area

Planning and Development Brief

LB Islington (2002) Unitary Development Plan

LB Islington (2003) Green Construction -Supplementary PlanningGuidance

RCEP (2000) Energy – The Changing Climate

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King’s Cross Central

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This document is printed on paper and board made from 80%de-inked post-consumer waste, 20% mill broke and is elemental

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