{"id":13837,"date":"2019-05-31T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2019-05-31T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hafnarfjordur.is\/hafnarfjordur-tekur-forystu-og-hvetur-til-vistvaenna-framkvaemda\/"},"modified":"2022-10-25T09:01:40","modified_gmt":"2022-10-25T09:01:40","slug":"hafnarfjordur-takes-the-lead-and-encourages-environmentally-friendly-initiatives","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hafnarfjordur.is\/en\/hafnarfjordur-tekur-forystu-og-hvetur-til-vistvaenna-framkvaemda\/","title":{"rendered":"Hafnarfj\u00f6r\u00f0ur encourages environmentally friendly measures"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Hafnarfj\u00f6r\u00f0ur Town Council has approved seven proposals for measures to encourage housebuilders to prioritise the environment, in line with the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals, increased requirements for lower greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere and greater public environmental awareness. At the council meeting on 29 May, it was also agreed to provide a 20-30% discount on the plot price to encourage developers to obtain Swan Certification, BREEAM certification or a comparable standard for new builds.<\/p>\n

The proposals are the result of workshops on planning and construction from a sustainability perspective, organised by the Environmental and Construction Council and the Planning and Building Council, together with officials from the City of Hafnarfj\u00f6r\u00f0ur, and were led by a sustainability engineer from the engineering firm Mannvit. The purpose of the measures is, among other things, to implement the objectives of the Construction Act, but also consideration was given to Environmental and Resource Policy of the City of Hafnarfj\u00f6r\u00f0ur<\/a> with the aim of promoting increased sustainability in planning and construction in the municipality and making Hafnarfj\u00f6r\u00f0ur an attractive place to build sustainably.<\/p>\n

The measures that were unanimously approved are as follows. References to explanations are in Mannvit's memorandum of 20 May 2019: \u201eSustainable Built Environment: Proposals for Action.\u201c<\/a><\/p>\n

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  1. The town council agrees that a requirement for underground bins will be included in the planning conditions for all development sites. In addition, provision will be made for them when reviewing the planning conditions in older neighbourhoods.<\/li>\n
  2. The Town Council agrees that the planning and allocation conditions should include a reference to section 15.2.4 of the Building Regulations on on-site waste recycling, and that a penalty system be adopted in accordance with section 2.9.2. of the building regulations to enforce improvements.<\/li>\n
  3. The town council agrees that at least 20% of building materials in new developments shall have environmental certification.<\/li>\n
  4. The town council agrees that the Borough of Hafnarfj\u00f6r\u00f0ur should set an example and adopt a policy on certifying all new-builds by the local authority.<\/li>\n
  5. The town council agrees to introduce incentives to encourage developers to obtain Swan Certification, BREEAM certification or a comparable standard for new builds, including a discount on the plot price. The Town Council agrees that the discount on the plot price for a Swan-certified building will be 20%. It is also proposed that buildings with a BREEAM rating of \u201eVery Good\u201c 55% receive a 20% discount on the plot price, and with a BREEAM rating of \u201eExcellent\u201c 70%, the discount on the plot price will be 30%.<\/li>\n
  6. The Town Council resolves that the fee schedule of the Municipality of Hafnarfj\u00f6r\u00f0ur shall be updated in accordance with the resolution of item 5.<\/li>\n
  7. The Hafnarfj\u00f6r\u00f0ur Town Council agrees that the municipality of Hafnarfj\u00f6r\u00f0ur becomes a member of Gr\u00e6nni bygg\u00f0 and pays membership fees in accordance with category 2.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    The Town Council instructed the Environmental and Planning Service to implement recommendations 1-5 and the Administrative Service to implement recommendations 6-7.<\/p>\n

    Further information:<\/strong><\/p>\n