The guide has been published by the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) in partnership with Regen, and will provide clarity on integrating net zero into projects
The RTPI net zero guidance contains information navigating the landscape of policy for energy and town planning, and integrating net zero in at the planning stage.
The documents also offer research and calls for changes in policy to further enable local authority planners to deliver net zero.
Planning will be essential to reach net zero targets
Research undertaken by the RTPI shows that, despite their importance in delivering net zero, local authorities are often prevented from doing so due to limited resources, uncertainty in mandates, and a lack of a uniform national strategy.
For these reasons, the research calls for:
- A clear legal duty for all local plans to be net zero compliant with nationally defined, enforceable criteria
- Clear guidance for integrating energy planning with town planning
- Central government support for training, resources, and data-sharing
Public engagement is also a key issue in the research, with 67% of the public saying they would be more comfortable of new housing and infrastructure if they are consulted and involved in the process.
These are called MIMBY’s – “Maybe In My Backyard”.
The RTPI net zero guidance makes several recommendations
The full recommendations made in the report are as follows:
Local authorities
Challenge 1: Planners and energy teams often work in isolation, leading to missed opportunities for integrating energy and town planning.
Recommendation 1: Local authorities should establish formal governance structures to integrate planning and energy teams. This could include:
- Creating cross-departmental working groups or steering committees; and
- Embedding energy planning discussions in local plan development cycles.
Challenge 2: Energy plans procured from external consultants often lack consistency in data outputs, miss upskilling opportunities for local authority teams, and overlook meaningful community involvement.
Recommendation 2: When commissioning energy planning processes, local authorities should set clear contractual expectations with consultants regarding:
- The specific types of analysis outputs required;
- Data-sharing protocols to enable long-term use by local authorities;
- Training and knowledge transfer for local authority staff to enhance internal capacity; and
- Defined community engagement processes to ensure public input is incorporated.
Central government
Challenge 3: Development plans are not consistently aligned with net zero goals, limiting their effectiveness in driving decarbonisation.
Recommendation 3: The UK Government (in England) should strengthen the requirement for local plans to be net zero compliant, ensuring that:
- Net zero compliance is a statutory requirement in all local plans;
- Clear, enforceable criteria define what a ‘net zero compliant’ plan entails; and
- Support is provided to local authorities to achieve this.
Challenge 4: There is a lack of clarity on the distinct roles of town planning and energy planning, and methods of integration, leading to potential inefficiencies in policy and project delivery.
Recommendation 4: The UK Government and devolved administrations should issue guidance clarifying:
- The respective roles and interactions of town planning and energy planning; and
- Best practices for integrating energy planning into local planning policies.
Challenge 5: Inconsistencies in data across energy planning processes make it difficult for local authorities to develop coherent strategies.
Recommendation 5: The UK Government and devolved administrations should provide guidance on standardising data outputs from energy planning to ensure that data is provided in accessible and usable tools, and that local authorities are provided with clear instructions or support for its use.
Challenge 6: Local planning authorities face chronic resource constraints, limiting their ability to engage with energy planning.
Recommendation 6: The UK Government and devolved administrations should address resourcing challenges by providing more funding and support to increasing local authority resourcing.
Challenge 7: Many planning officers lack the necessary expertise to engage with energy planning processes effectively. This can create unnecessary delays and overall increased costs.
Recommendation 7: The UK Government and devolved administrations should fund training programmes for local planning authorities to improve knowledge on:
- The overall energy system as well as technology-specific requirements; and
- Best practices for integrating energy planning into local plans.
Dr Victoria Hills, chief executive of the RTPI, said: “While the Government’s clean energy ambitions are on the right track, they ultimately risk falling short if they cannot be delivered, or face too much resistance at the local level.
“Local planners can help alleviate this pressure, and are ready to deliver, but they need the tools and policy clarity to align ambition with reality.”
Dr Rebecca Windemer, planning lead at Regen said: ‘ With much attention currently on planning reform to achieve Clean Power 2030, it’s vital that policymakers understand the strategic importance of aligning energy and spatial planning and providing the necessary support to local authorities.’
The full RTPI net zero guidance and research can be found here.
The post New RTPI net zero guidance launched for town planners appeared first on Planning, Building & Construction Today.
