Policy CC/CS: Supporting land-based carbon sequestration and carbon sinks

1. Where major development is proposed on land containing peat soils, a proportionate evaluation of the impact of the proposal on the soil’s carbon content and an appropriate soil management plan must be submitted as part of the planning application. 

2. There will be a presumption in favour of preservation of peat in situ. Proposals that will result in unavoidable harm to, or loss of, peat soils will only be permitted if it is demonstrated that: 

  a. the site is allocated for development; or 

  b. there is clear evidence of need for the development that outweighs the harm to peat soils, and that an alternative viable option is not available for the proposed development. 

3. Any potential harm to peat soils associated with a development proposal must be reduced to the minimum possible level. Appropriate provision, to the satisfaction of the local planning authority, must be made for the evaluation, recording and interpretation of peat soils prior to the commencement of development. 

4. For peat and other soils that are to be removed from a site, soils must be temporarily stored and used in a way that will minimise carbon loss to the atmosphere – to achieve this, the DEFRA Code of Practice for the Sustainable Use of Soils on Construction Sites (2009) (or successor documents) should be followed. 

5. Proposals to enhance peat soils and protect its qualities will be supported, as will proposals to help strengthen existing carbon sinks or create new ones. 

Carbon sequestration in new development 

6. All major development proposals, especially strategic sites, should seek opportunities to enhance the carbon sequestration potential of their proposals through green infrastructure and new habitat creation. The demonstration of meaningful carbon sequestration where there is a significant net gain within a proposal through nature-based solutions will be a material consideration in the decision-making process. 

Land plays a significant role in climate objectives, acting as both a source of greenhouse gas emissions and a carbon sink. A carbon sink is anything that absorbs more carbon than it releases – for example plants, the ocean and soils. Peatlands are an important store of carbon, while other habitats such as woodlands and grasslands also have a role to play, as indicated in research by Natural England. There is an area of peatland in the very north of

The combined areas of Cambridge District and South Cambridgeshire District Councils.

, as identified on the England Peat Map (or any successor document). Although it covers a relatively small area of

The combined areas of Cambridge District and South Cambridgeshire District Councils.

, peatland should be protected, preserved and enhanced wherever possible to ensure it continues to store carbon. The protection of soils during construction to preserve their potential as a carbon sink is an important consideration in the policy and developers should refer to the DEFRA Code of Practice for the Sustainable Use of Soils on Construction Sites (2009). 

Other policies in the development plan protect nature sites and agricultural land, support the protection and enhancement of tree canopy cover, and support the delivery of strategic green infrastructure projects, thereby protecting land that will act as carbon sinks. Promotion of nature-based solutions, where natural systems are protected, restored and managed, can assist with the protection of carbon sinks, whilst providing benefits for biodiversity and health and wellbeing. 

Our evidence, alongside the work of the Committee on Climate Change, shows that, even after all ambitious carbon reduction actions are taken, there will still be a proportion of ‘residual’ or unavoidable carbon emissions from the economy as a whole. As a result, land-based carbon sequestration has a role to play in offsetting these residual carbon emissions. Carbon sequestration is the long-term removal, capture or sequestration of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere to slow or reverse atmospheric carbon dioxide and to mitigate or reverse climate change. This policy also seeks to promote the consideration of carbon sequestration potential when designing landscaping and green infrastructure provision as part of new developments. 

• Greater Cambirdge

  A plan for the future development of a local area, drawn up by the local planning authority in consultation with the community. In law this is described as the development plan documents adopted under the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004. A local plan can consist of either strategic or non-strategic policies, or a combination of the two.

  : Climate Change Topic Paper (2025)

• The combined areas of Cambridge District and South Cambridgeshire District Councils.

  Net Zero Carbon Study (2021)

We will consider all comments while developing the next version of the

A plan for the future development of a local area, drawn up by the local planning authority in consultation with the community. In law this is described as the development plan documents adopted under the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004. A local plan can consist of either strategic or non-strategic policies, or a combination of the two.

.

All comments must be received by 30 January 2026 at 5pm.