UK News

A national survey by the Town and Country Planning Association aims to create a clearer picture of sustainable planning policies in councils across England for the first time. The TCPA wants all local authorities to complete the national survey. The charity aims to gather information on whether, and if so, how, councils are rising to the challenge of delivering on-site renewable energy and sustainable design and construction.

In theory, they say, the planning system has the potential to deliver renewable energy and higher standards of construction, drawing from pockets of best practice in places such as London Borough of Merton. Evidence suggests that use of such policies are becoming more common, but they are still relatively rare across England.

TCPA Director Gideon Amos said: “Our climate is changing and these changes are likely to intensify with potentially catastrophic implications. Planning has a vital role to play in adapting to and mitigating the future climate challenge. This survey is particularly timely as local authorities prepare their Core Strategies and Local Development Documents and the Government begins preparing the new climate change Planning Policy Statement.”

The TCPA wants local authorities’ planning officers to fill in the confidential on-line survey by June 2. It can be found @ www.tcpa.org.uk/climate_change.htm