Are you having problems with determining the feasibility or viability of micro-generation on new developments or are you finding that ensuring more sustainable drainage is an issue? If so then the Technical Support Service is here to help. It has been designed to help local authority planners in incorporating climate change adaptation and mitigation principles into proposed developments and seeks to advise on climate change adaptation opportunities when master planning new sites, when dealing with individual buildings or when looking for climate change opportunities in conservation areas or sensitive landscapes.

Who can Access the Technical Support Service?

Are you a Development Management Planner struggling to assess the Carbon Footprint of a proposed development or a Policy Planner who does not have an adopted policy?

If the answer is yes then the Technical Support Service is here to help you. This Service has been set up to assist all Local Planning Authorities in the Yorkshire and Humber, so if you have a proposed development, master plan or a smaller project that you feel could benefit from additional technical support then do not hesitate to contact us.

How the Technical Support Service works?

There are four easy steps and the Service will:

1. Clarify the issue
2. Direct you to who can help you
3. Resolve the issue
4. Share the learning and knowledge gained

There are a range of current issues that are common to all local authorities. Many of these will be addressed through a wider training package of measures that will be rolled out later this year.

If you would like to access the Technical Support Service please feel free to contact:

Ruth Hardingham
Local Government Yorkshire and Humber

T: 07917554902
E: ruth.hardingham@lgyh.gov.uk

Examples of How the Technical Support Service Has Been Used

Wakefield: The CCSF has commissioned the Centre of Sustainable Energy (CSE) to assess an Energy Statement submitted to Wakefield Metropolitan Council. The Energy Statement conveyed that the applicant was unable to comply with Wakefield’s Policy D27 on the use of on-site renewable energy within new developments and therefore proposed an alternative solution through implementing energy efficiency measures to achieve carbon dioxide emission savings over and above Building Regulation requirements. Therefore the CCSF commissioned CSE to establish or not the Energy Assessment was compliant with Policy D27 within the context of the current national policy framework.

Please see the related documents section below for the full assessment.

Training for Planners on How to Assess Energy Assessments

As a result of the assessment undertaken by CSE, on 6th Feburary 2012 a training event was provided to achieve an understanding of:

• Policy context – brief background to the ‘Merton Rule’ and how national policy guidance has influenced local policies on energy use in new development, including the Draft National Planning Policy Framework (2011);
• Merton Rule policies – overview of typical policy wording (with reference to WMC Policy D27), implied assumptions and relevance of current and future Building Regulations i.e. the expected trajectory towards ‘zero carbon’ new homes and buildings and ‘Allowable Solutions’;
• Energy Statements – scope and content, baseline emission calculations and benchmarks, energy efficiency of renewables; viability and policy compliance;
• Renewable energy technologies – types of technologies, applications, typical outputs/emission savings and viability; 
• Case studies and group exercises – levels of Merton Rule compliance seen in London (through GLA experience), examples of Energy Statements (including examples from WMC) and negotiated compliance. Group exercises involving assessment of example Energy Statements.

See link to slides below.

Related Documents

Assessment of an Energy Statement accompanying a planning application: Ruskin Avenue, Wakefield

This report provides an assessment of an Energy Statement submitted by Dacres Commercial as part of a planning application for a residential development by Redrow Sustainability for a site known as Ruskin Avenue, located in Wakefield.

Download document (230kb)

CCSF Technical Support Service (Information Leaflet)

Provides Local Planning Authorities with a range of independent low carbon support and advice. Published December 2011. 

Download document (1Mb)

CSE Training Slides on Assessing Energy Assessments

CSE Training slides 6-2-12.pdf