Sustainable Building Design

Appendix B

Arup Guidance Note on GLA Requirements for Renewables

Gives the following guidance for determining planning applications: ‘Local planning authorities should expect new development to:

• comply with adopted Local Plan policies on local requirements for decentralised energy supply unless it can be demonstrated by the applicant, having regard to the type of development involved and its design, that this is not feasible or viable; and
• take account of landform, layout, building orientation, massing and landscaping to minimise energy consumption’.

Finally, paragraph 97 states: ‘To help increase the use and supply of renewable and low carbon energy, local planning authorities should recognise the responsibility of all communities to contribute to energy generation from renewable or low carbon sources. They should: …identify opportunities where development can draw its energy supply from decentralised, renewable or low carbon energy supply systems and for co-locating potential heat customers and suppliers’.

In London, the Greater London Authority – Mayor of London Sustainable Design and Construction Supplementary Planning Guidance (2014) and London Plan (italics = best practice) states that the overall carbon dioxide emissions from a development should be minimised through the implementation of the energy hierarchy lean > clean > green set out in London Plan policy 5.2. and that Developments should be designed to meet the following Regulated carbon dioxide standards, in ...