Sustainable energy policy objectives

The PPS requires that ‘in developing their core strategy and supporting local development documents, planning authorities should provide a framework that promotes and encourages renewable and low carbon energy generation. Policies should be designed to promote and not restrict renewable and low-carbon energy and supporting infrastructure.’

The implication of the above is broad in that there are a wide range of ways in which a local authority can promote sustainable energy. Setting aside for the moment pre-existing private housing and the need to address energy efficiency in existing building stock (this is covered in the section on Existing Dwellings), the following possible methods of promoting sustainable energy are covered by the toolkit:

• Develop an area wide minimum LZC energy target for new development (SE1);
• Identify strategic new development sites or areas with specific renewable energy resource or energy opportunities (SE2);
• Identify and promote sites for stand-alone renewable energy (SE3);
• Develop area wide renewable energy targets (MW of heat /electricity) as stimulus for concerted local action (SE4);
• Setting minimum sustainable building standards for new developments (note that this objective can be used to address both sustainable energy and adaptation issues), (SE5);
• Inform the selection of land for new development in relation to the potential for renewable and low carbon energy supply (SE6);
• Develop policies to support sustainable energy infrastructure fund (SE7);
• Developing policies that could require developers to connect to existing or proposed District Heating Networks (SE8); and
• Using local development orders to support the deployment of sustainable energy (SE9).

For each of the above, the toolkit provides advice on how to go about developing a policy to support the objective and, where appropriate, sets out the tasks involved in creating a robust evidence base to support it. It also provides you with links to external sources of information, case studies, good practice and so on that you may find useful in preparing new policy.

To support the development of these policies, the toolkit provides (again, where appropriate) a modular model brief which can be used to commission external consultants to assist in the delivery of certain tasks on your way to creating a robust evidence base.