SE1 Task 1: Define categories of development in the area by type, density and scale

Overview of task

The feasibility and viability of different technologies for low carbon energy provision for a development will depend on a range of factors, including:

• Technical potential, e.g. available wind speeds, available roof area for solar panels, access for wood fuel deliveries, availability of mains gas
• The scale of development, which can influence the viability of district heating and CHP
• Planning and regulatory constraints such as conservation areas, Air Quality Management Areas, and so on

These can all vary across a local authority area, and, whilst it is not possible to evaluate every circumstance, a range of 'type assessments' can be carried out. Therefore the local authority should consider the range and type of expected development for which it may wish a target to apply.

A list of the possible categories you could consider is given below, although some of these may not be relevant to your authority. The size thresholds are given for guidance only; you should define your own. It may also be the case that, for your authority, several of the categories may overlap, e.g. you may have rural sites in AONB. For each of the categories you identify, you should assess:

• The quantity of development (in terms of number of dwellings or floor area) likely to occur in that category over the next 5 years (bearing in mind that future Building Regulations are likely to supercede any target you set after that time)
• Whether you are likely to want to set a target for that category of development

For residential development, some possible categories are:

• City/urban infill, with less than 10 dwellings
• City/urban infill, with high density, with up to 50 dwellings
• Large urban sites, with high density, and over 50 dwellings
• Small rural sites, of less than 10 dwellings, both on and off the gas network
• Medium rural/market town-scale sites, with low to medium density and 50-100 dwellings
• Larger rural/greenfield sites, with 50 or more dwellings
• Sites that have relatively high heritage or landscape constraints, such as conservation areas, AONBs, World Heritage sites

For non-residential:

• A breakdown by use class, e.g. whether B8 (warehouse/ distribution), B2 (industrial), B1 (office), etc.
• An estimate of the scale of each development likely to fall under each class, e.g. whether less than 1000m2, or greater than this
• As for residential, an assessment of how much of this development would be in rural or urban areas, or in areas with heritage or landscape constraints

You can derive this information either from historical data you may hold on planning consents granted, or you can base it on the pattern of development you are aiming to encourage through your core strategy and LDDs, as well as your knowledge of potential or existing allocations.

As explained in the overview of the policy objective, you can then use this information to decide whether, for the categories you wish to set targets for, a sufficient evidence base already exists from previous regional or national studies. If it does, then you don’t need to consider any further tasks under this policy objective.