Linden Homes and Miller Homes support sustainable design and construction and strive to minimise the environmental impact of development during construction and post occupancy and hence the aspirations of the policy are supported. However, Policy DM16 is overly prescriptive in terms of the standards and considerations that are required to reduce energy demand.

Linden Homes and Miller Homes will adopt a fabric first approach to construction of their homes on the West of Chichester site which is considered to be more sustainable than relying on renewable energy solutions which are often more expensive, have a higher embodied energy use and may not necessarily be used efficiently by future occupiers. Miller Homes and Linden Homes will consider the use of renewable sources of energy on site, such as through the provision of solar panels on roofs. However, this is not always the most environmentally or financially appropriate or viable method of lowering energy demand and this needs to be recognised within the policy text.

These points should be recognised within the policy text and the requirements of point (4) in particular relaxed to recognise the variable ways in which higher energy efficiency can be achieved.