The Thames Chase Plan addresses climate change mitigation and adaptation and could be an opportunity for partnership working between the Council and the Thames Chase Trust (Thames Chase Community Forest).

Firstly, all new houses and access roads where parking is allowed should be fitted with suitable charging points. Secondly, where in the plan are the areas that will be allocated for vehicle charging. Brentwood is adjacent to 4 main transport routes all of which will need significant improvements to support the traffic from the various local development plans. A strategy needs to be developed that considers the physical area requirements for charging.

A common thread spans policy BE01 Future Proofing para 5.16 a (iv) reducing carbon emitting traffic and Chapter 5, para 5.104 (i) school clear zone and (ii) low emission zone. When travelling around Brentwood at either morning or afternoon/evening peak times it is clear that the town is running to capacity or often over capacity especially when any of the main transport corridors are blocked. If you then take the very laudable sentiments for supporting school clear zones, low emission zones and the need to significantly reduce carbon emitting traffic as highlighted in question 2, the plan does not appear to positively embrace the practical implementation of these sentiments. I therefore consider that the plan as currently presented appears unsound for the question 2 points.

If you accept the current view that the reduction of carbon emissions from traffic within the time frame of this LDP is likely to come from electric vehicles then there will be a need for 2 threads to be inserted into the plan.
Firstly, all new houses and access roads where parking is allowed should be fitted with suitable charging points. What and how this should be implemented is a matter for the officers to determine.
Secondly, where in the plan are the areas that will be allocated for vehicle charging. Brentwood is adjacent to 4 main transport routes all of which will need significant improvements to support the traffic from the various local development plans. The M25, M11, A127 and A12 road networks all currently have very limited or non-existent service areas. A strategy needs to be developed that considers the physical area requirements for charging. Unless there are significant changes/developments in charging rates and battery energy storage density, then the days of the short refilling time and the concentrated energy of petrochemical fuels will be replaced with different journey planning and recharge stops. But where might they be situated given the pressure on housing and the wish for them to be adjacent to road junctions?
If these above points are developed and made a clear requirement within the LDP, then the plan's Future Proofing may then be more likely.