Planning Policy Statement Planning and Climate Change Peter Ellis Planning Directorate Communities and Local Government

Planning Policy StatementPlanning and Climate Change

Peter EllisPlanning DirectorateCommunities and Local Government

Planning and climate change….

“A new wave of local renewable energy supply and community power schemes get Government backing today….

…planners must now promote green growth. Changes to the planning system will mean all councils will be expected to provide for on-site renewable energy and local community energy schemes to help cut carbon emissions from new developments.”

Yvette Cooper

Minister for Housing and Planning 17 December 2007

Content……

tackling climate change

Planning and Climate Change

- what we want from planning

- what we want on decentralised energy

next steps

tackling climate change

Planning and Climate Change

- what we want from planning

- what we want on decentralised energy

next steps

The reality of climate change….


Stern warns that climate change is far worse than 2006 estimate……

“We badly underestimated the degree of damages and the risks of climate change," said Lord Stern in a speech in London yesterday. "All of the links in the chain are on average worse than we thought a couple of years ago.”

Independent

Thursday, 17 April 2008

Stern warns that climate change is far worse than 2006 estimate……

“We badly underestimated the degree of damages and the risks of climate change," said Lord Stern in a speech in London yesterday. "All of the links in the chain are on average worse than we thought a couple of years ago.”

Independent

Thursday, 17 April 2008


… for the UK:

warmer temperatures

wetter winters and drier summers

higher sea levels, leading to the flooding of coastal areas and floodplains

extremes of weather such as heavy rain, heatwaves and gales

… for the UK:

warmer temperatures

wetter winters and drier summers

higher sea levels, leading to the flooding of coastal areas and floodplains

extremes of weather such as heavy rain, heatwaves and gales

Tackling climate change….

“Climate change represents a potentially catastrophic threat, but it is within our control to address it - and address it we must.”

Rt. Hon. Tony Blair MP

Securing the Future The UK Government Sustainable Development Strategy 2005

“Our mission is, in truth, historic and world changing - to build, over the next fifty years and beyond, a global low carbon economy. And it is not overdramatic to say that the character and course of the coming century will be set by how we measure up to this challenge.”

Rt. Hon. Gordon Brown MP

Speech at the Foreign Press Association in London19 November 2007

“Climate change represents a potentially catastrophic threat, but it is within our control to address it - and address it we must.”

Rt. Hon. Tony Blair MP

Securing the Future The UK Government Sustainable Development Strategy 2005

“Our mission is, in truth, historic and world changing - to build, over the next fifty years and beyond, a global low carbon economy. And it is not overdramatic to say that the character and course of the coming century will be set by how we measure up to this challenge.”

Rt. Hon. Gordon Brown MP

Speech at the Foreign Press Association in London19 November 2007

showing leadership, taking action…

avoid lock-in to a high carbon economy

show is possible to cut

emissions without

unacceptable economic pain

energy efficiency

measures to save money

across the economy

diversify energy sources, help deliver energy security



EU renewables targets

EU emissions targets

20% of energy from renewable sources by 2020

(UK expected to deliver c. 15%)

20% reduction in greenhouse gases by 2020

30% reduction if there is international agreement

Kyoto Protocol agreement by all Annex 1 (developed) countries

Agreement to cut GHG emissions by 5% by 2008-12 on 1990 levels

UK share of this is 12.5% reduction

UK expected to meet its target

Targets and budgets

Enabling Powers

Committee on Climate Change

Reporting

• Long and medium term targets: CO2 emission reductions of 26-

32% by 2020 and 60% [80%?] by 2050. Five-year carbon

budgets to set out trajectory

• 2020 and 2050 CO2 reduction targets enshrined in law

• Independent body to advise Government on its carbon budgets

and where least cost savings could be made

• Introduce emissions trading schemes more quickly and easily


• Committee on Climate Change to report annually to Parliament

on UK’s progress towards targets in relation to carbon budgets

• Government to report at least every 5 years on adaptation

Renewables Obligation

EU Emissions Trading Scheme

Carbon Reduction Commitment

Carbon Emissions Reduction Target

Local Authority Performance Management Frameworks

Climate Change Levy

Climate Change Agreements

Enhanced Capital Allowances

VAT reduction

Environmental Transformation Fund

Planning White Paper, Planning Bill

Climate Change Duty

Biomass and Waste Strategies

Climate Change Planning Policy

Climate Change Bill

Ecotowns

Energy Bill

Environmental Technologies Institute


Zero Carbon New Buildings:Homes by 2016

Non-Residential by 2019

Permitted Development

Rights

MicrogenerationStrategy

CHP Strategy



“an attractive environment for innovation and for the private sector to bring forward investment, including in renewable and low-carbon technologies and supporting infrastructure”

“an attractive environment for innovation and for the private sector to bring forward investment, including in renewable and low-carbon technologies and supporting infrastructure”

What we want from planning….


“new development, its spatial distribution, location and design planned to limit carbon dioxide emissions”

“new development, its spatial distribution, location and design planned to limit carbon dioxide emissions”



“new development planned to make good use of opportunities for decentralised and renewable or low carbon energy”

“new development planned to make good use of opportunities for decentralised and renewable or low carbon energy”


From Greenpeace


“urban growth and sustainable rural developments that help secure the fullest possible use of sustainable transport for moving freight, public transport, cycling and walking; and, which overall, reduce the need to travel, especially by car”

“urban growth and sustainable rural developments that help secure the fullest possible use of sustainable transport for moving freight, public transport, cycling and walking; and, which overall, reduce the need to travel, especially by car”



“new development to be planned to minimise future vulnerability in a changing climate”

“new development to be planned to minimise future vulnerability in a changing climate”


Planning for local energy….


Decision-Making Principle:

“new development should be planned to make good use of opportunities for decentralised and renewable or low-carbon energy”

Decentralised energy supply - energy supply from local renewable and local low-carbon sources (ie on-site and near-site, but not remote off-site) usually on a relatively small scale. Broad term used to denote a diverse range of technologies, including micro-renewables, which can locally serve an individual building, development or wider community and includes heating and cooling energy.

Decision-Making Principle:

“new development should be planned to make good use of opportunities for decentralised and renewable or low-carbon energy”

Decentralised energy supply - energy supply from local renewable and local low-carbon sources (ie on-site and near-site, but not remote off-site) usually on a relatively small scale. Broad term used to denote a diverse range of technologies, including micro-renewables, which can locally serve an individual building, development or wider community and includes heating and cooling energy.

Planning to support delivery of timetable for cutting carbon emissions from new buildings:

new homes to be zero carbon by 2016

ambition for all new public buildings to be zero carbon by 2018

ambition for all new non-domestic to be zero carbon by 2019

Planning to support delivery of timetable for cutting carbon emissions from new buildings:

new homes to be zero carbon by 2016

ambition for all new public buildings to be zero carbon by 2018

ambition for all new non-domestic to be zero carbon by 2019


What’s expected of regional planners :

regional strategies tested on their carbon performance

framework for sub-regional and local planning to focus substantial new development on locations…..”where energy can be gained from decentralised energy supply systems or where there is clear potential for this to be realised”

What’s expected of regional planners :

regional strategies tested on their carbon performance

framework for sub-regional and local planning to focus substantial new development on locations…..”where energy can be gained from decentralised energy supply systems or where there is clear potential for this to be realised”


What’s expected of local councils:

evidence-based understanding of local feasibility and potential of decentralised energy to supply new development in their area

in allocating land for development take into account extent to which existing or planned opportunities for decentralised energy could contribute to the energy supply of development


evidence-based understanding of local feasibility and potential of decentralised energy to supply new development in their area

in allocating land for development take into account extent to which existing or planned opportunities for decentralised energy could contribute to the energy supply of development





‘Merton-style’ targets ie percentage of energy to be used in new development to come from decentralised energy; but avoid prescription on technologies and be flexible

development area or site-specific targets where the potential is bigger than area wide target; and in doing so:

- look to opportunities for utilizing decentralised systems and to new opportunities to supply proposed and existing development (including co-locating potential heat customers and heat suppliers)

- can set specific requirements to facilitate connection where fair and reasonable


‘Merton-style’ targets ie percentage of energy to be used in new development to come from decentralised energy; but avoid prescription on technologies and be flexible

development area or site-specific targets where the potential is bigger than area wide target; and in doing so:

- look to opportunities for utilizing decentralised systems and to new opportunities to supply proposed and existing development (including co-locating potential heat customers and heat suppliers)

- can set specific requirements to facilitate connection where fair and reasonable


What’s expected of developers in designing new development:

“comply with adopted policies on local requirements for decentralised energy supply and for sustainable buildings”

- unless it can be demonstrated having regard to type of development involved and its design, that not feasible or viable

“take account of landform, layout, building orientation, massing and landscaping to minimise energy consumption, including maximising cooling and avoiding solar gain in the summer and overall…”

“….be planned so as to minimise carbon dioxide emissions through giving careful consideration to how all aspects of development form, together with the proposed density and mix of development, support opportunities for decentralised and renewable or low-carbon energy supply”

What’s expected of developers in designing new development:

“comply with adopted policies on local requirements for decentralised energy supply and for sustainable buildings”

- unless it can be demonstrated having regard to type of development involved and its design, that not feasible or viable

“take account of landform, layout, building orientation, massing and landscaping to minimise energy consumption, including maximising cooling and avoiding solar gain in the summer and overall…”

“….be planned so as to minimise carbon dioxide emissions through giving careful consideration to how all aspects of development form, together with the proposed density and mix of development, support opportunities for decentralised and renewable or low-carbon energy supply”


Safeguarding environmental performance:

when determining planning applications, planning authorities should consider likely impact of proposed development on:

– existing, or other proposed, development, and its renewable or low-carbon energy supply;

– existing, or proposed, sources of renewable or low-carbon energy supply

where proposed development would prejudice renewable or low-carbon energy supplies, consideration should be given to how proposal could be amended to make it acceptable or, where not practicable, to whether planning permission should be refused

Safeguarding environmental performance:

when determining planning applications, planning authorities should consider likely impact of proposed development on:

– existing, or other proposed, development, and its renewable or low-carbon energy supply;

– existing, or proposed, sources of renewable or low-carbon energy supply

where proposed development would prejudice renewable or low-carbon energy supplies, consideration should be given to how proposal could be amended to make it acceptable or, where not practicable, to whether planning permission should be refused

Next steps……

Documents

Planning Policy Statement Planning and Climate Change Peter Ellis Planning Directorate Communities and Local Government