Carbon & Climate Study EOI

Expressions of interest for the forthcoming tender for a study into greenhouse-gas emissions and climate change in Milton Keynes The Development Plans team at the Council is currently preparing a suite of evidence base studies to inform development of a new Local Plan.

Reflecting the Council's ambitions (set out in our Sustainability Strategy ) for the borough to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2030, and to be carbon negative by 2050, mitigating and adapting to climate change must be at the heart of the new Local Plan.

The Milton Keynes Strategy for 2050 also sets out our intention to continue Milton Keynes' pioneering approach to planning for sustainable development.

Therefore, we intend to prepare a wide-ranging study considering how the design, location and amount of new development can maximise both our mitigation of and preparedness for climate change.

The following bullet points set out our aims for the study: a.

Establish a borough-wide carbon profile/baseline, and a second carbon profile base line year when all currently permitted developments (as of March 2021) shall be built out. b.

Assess the resultant greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and climate risk profiles of various spatial growth typologies.

The typologies, and the types of information required to inform modelling of GHG emissions, will be agreed between MKC and the consultant prior to work starting on the assessments. c.

Assess, model and provide policy recommendations for the building performance of truly net zero carbon buildings. d.

Assess whether including varying levels of green infrastructure (GI) provision in new development would reduce wider carbon emissions, and how GI may be better designed/spread throughout development to absorb unregulated emissions and support wider placemaking objectives. e.

Provide policy recommendations on the most appropriate layout and mix of new uses within new developments to reduce CO2 emissions and increase physical resilience to climate change, as well as support Transit-Oriented Development. f.

Assess the carbon and climate impacts of achieving different levels of transport modal shift and introducing community logistics hubs into new estates. g.

Identify the neighbourhoods in Milton Keynes at the most risk from climate change, assess the resilience of existing infrastructure in the borough to predicted climate change impacts, and provide design recommendations for new infrastructure to make it more resilient to climate change.

We will be carrying out a separate Strategic Flood Risk Assessment, so this study would not need to model flood risk. h.

Assess the impacts of future development scenarios on local air quality.

We intend to commission a consultancy to carry out this work.

If your organisation/company would be interested in tendering for and carrying out this study, please let us know by emailing contracts@milton-keynes.gov.uk