Planning Policy Statement Planning and Climate Change

1. Planning Policy StatementPlanning and Climate Change Peter Ellis Planning Directorate Communities and Local Government

2. 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

3. Content…… • tackling climate change • Planning and Climate Change • what we want from planning • what we want on decentralised energy • next steps

4. The reality of climate change….

5. 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

6. The reality of climate change…. … 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

7. 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

8. Tackling climate change…. 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 showing leadership, taking action… diversify energy sources, help deliver energy security

9. Tackling climate change…. 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 20% reduction in greenhouse gases by 2020 30% reduction if there is international agreement EU emissions targets 20% of energy from renewable sources by 2020 (UK expected to deliver c. 15%) EU renewables targets

10. Tackling climate change…. • Long and medium term targets: CO2 emissionreductions 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 Targets and budgets Committee on Climate Change • Independent body to advise Government on its carbon budgets and where least cost savings could be made Reporting • 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 Enabling Powers • Introduce emissions trading schemes more quickly and easily

11. Tackling climate change…. Climate Change Planning Policy Ecotowns EU Emissions Trading Scheme Planning White Paper, Planning Bill Climate Change Duty Zero Carbon New Buildings: Homes by 2016 Non-Residential by 2019 Climate Change Agreements Carbon Reduction Commitment Microgeneration Strategy Permitted Development Rights CHP Strategy Energy Bill Carbon Emissions Reduction Target Biomass and Waste Strategies Renewables Obligation Climate Change Bill Environmental Technologies Institute Enhanced Capital Allowances Environmental Transformation Fund Local Authority Performance Management Frameworks Climate Change Levy VAT reduction

12. Planning and climate change….

13. Planning and climate change…. “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….

14. Planning and climate change…. “new development, its spatial distribution, location and design planned to limit carbon dioxide emissions” What we want from planning….

15. Planning and climate change…. “new development planned to make good use of opportunities for decentralised and renewable or low carbon energy” What we want from planning…. From Greenpeace

16. Planning and climate change…. “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” What we want from planning….

17. Planning and climate change…. “new development to be planned to minimise future vulnerability in a changing climate” What we want from planning….

18. Planning for local energy….

19. Planning for local 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 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.

20. Planning for local energy…. 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”

21. Planning for local energy…. 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

22. Planning for local energy….

23. Planning for local energy….

24. Planning for local energy…. What’s expected of local councils: • ‘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

25. Planning for local energy…. 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”

26. Planning for local energy…. 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

27. Next steps……