LISD Agency

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAslide0003_image003Low Impact Sustainable Development [L.I.S.D.] Agency

The mission of the Low Impact Sustainable Development Agency is to import the criteria and protocols established by the Lammas EcoVillage in Wales, UK into the United States.
PreApplicationMeetingThe UK has the strictest building and land use codes/laws in the world due to the high population density and limited square miles of land that comprises the UK. In 2008 the local planning department in Pembrokeshire, Wales, approved the first Low Impact Sustainable Development settlement setting a precedent which has now been adopted throughout the UK. Pembrokeshire’s planning policy on L.I.S.D is a groundbreaking policy which sets out a new approach to sustainable development in the countryside.
model#4The criteria and protocols established through the UK’s Policy 52 and TAN 6 allows for multiple families/individuals to apply for an ‘EcoVillage’ permit by following specific guidelines that require such low impact communities (EcoVillages) to adhere to the following 8 application requirements:

  1. The proposal will make a positive environmental, social and/or economic contribution with public slide0023_image035benefit; and
  2. All activities and structures on the site have low impact in terms of the environment and use of resources; and
  3. Opportunities to reuse buildings which are available in the proposal’s area of operation have been investigated and shown to be impracticable or are incorporate: and
  4. The development is well integrated into the landscape and does not have adverse visual effects; and
  5. The proposal requires a countryside location and is tied directly into the land on which it is located, and involves agriculture, forestry, and/or horticulture; and
  6. The proposal will provide sufficient livelihood for and substantially meet the needs of residents on site; and
  7. The number of adult residents should be directly related to the functional requirements of the enterprise; and
  8. In the event of the development involving members of more than one family, the proposal will be managed and controlled by a trust, co-operative or other similar mechansim in which the occupiers have an interest.

 

Each application must have:

  1. Management Plan
  2. Business and Improvement plans
  3. Ecological Footprint Analysis
  4. Zero Carbon Analysis
  5. Biodiversity and Landscape Assessment
  6. Community Impact Assessment
  7. Transport Assessment and Travel Plans
  8. Planning Obligations and Conditions

 

 

Model#7The Colorado LISD agency will serve as an intermediary entity between the local government community development department and groups who apply for this new type of zoning and development permits.

The agency will translate and adapt the criteria and guidelines to fit the rural economic and development needs of counties and assist/ guide applicants through the planning and application process.
Model#10model#1The first county to approve Low Impact Sustainable Development in the United States will set the precedent and once adopted other rural counties/towns throughout Colorado can easily establish their own agencies and duplicate the criteria.
The agency will be seeking land to establish the first EcoVillage Low Impact Sustainable Development Education Center that will serve as a model of LISD  and education center where applicants can have hands on learning with the world’s leading green builders, alternative energy professionals, permaculture designers, and organic farming experts.