A NEW charter that will set the gold standard of building in the borough will be produced, senior councillors have confirmed.

A so-called 'Developers' Charter' will set out what the council would like future developments to look like, developing on the minimum requirements set out in the local plan.

Frustrations had been growing from members of the Development Control committee (DC), who decide whether to grant planning permission to large or controversial applications, in recent weeks that major planning applications coming before them had not done enough to meet their climate aspirations.

Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council wish to be carbon neutral by 2025 before the borough reaches that level by 2030, and declared a climate emergency around 12 months ago.

This frustration was evident in the debate surrounding the Chineham District Shopping Centre at the start of July, where councillors suggested that more could be done in terms of sustainability. The decision was deferred.

The announcement of the charter comes after Cllr Chris Tomblin (Basingstoke and Deane Independent, Bramley and Sherfield) moved a motion before the council to development a document that would give members of DC grounds to refuse applications should they not take into account the climate impacts.

Speaking at last week's council meeting, Cllr Mark Ruffell said: "Our current local plan is serving us well, however in one respect it needs to be updated, and that is climate change.

"How we create a more sustainable borough for the future, in terms of energy use, in terms of heating, in terms of fuel for transport as well as the methods of transport.

"I want us to capitalise in that desire in the whole way we structure our local plan update."

Adding to that, Cllr Tristan Robinson said: "What I want to do is make sure we have a document that says 'yes we have got the local plan and that is the baseline of what we will accept in planning law, but actually we want you to do these things'.

"We want to showcase that this is what we see in new developments. But there is a quid pro quo for them because dare I say it if developers are adhering to what we have set as members they will get an easier ride at DC."

He added that this will include carbon neutrality, planting new trees, biodiversity net gain, reduce carbon use, no gas boilers, using infrared or ground-sourced heating, a reduction in heating use and sustainable transport.

"This has a real benefit for residents because if we get these sustainability points right at the outset we can stop residents getting into fuel poverty and struggling to pay energy bills."

All councillors backed the motion, which will see the Economic, Planning and Housing Committee look further at the idea.