New coalition sets out proposals to consider climate change impacts when making planning decisions

A coalition of environmental, countryside and leading development planners will today set out proposals to overhaul the planning system and force local councils to consider climate change impacts when making planning decisions.

The group's position statement is available online.

The group, led by Friends of the Earth and the Town and Country Planning Association (TCPA), will call on the government to introduce a package of planning reforms designed to tackle widespread council opposition to renewable energy projects such as onshore wind farms.

'The planning system must play a key part in UK efforts to meet its targets for tackling climate change," said Friends of the Earth's executive director Andy Atkins. 'New guidance is desperately needed to boost green development and prevent carbon-hungry projects being approved.'

The draft guidance proposes the introduction of binding renewable energy targets and a new body to monitor progress among local authorities.

It also calls for new rules requiring councils to map out the potential for renewable energy projects in their area, and proposes the provision of mandatory training for councillors and planning authorities designed to explain the importance of low-carbon developments.

The draft proposals, which will be presented to MPs in Westminster, come just a week after new figures from the British Wind Energy Association showed that three out of four applications for new wind farms are now being rejected by councillors.

The government has attempted to tackle the problem of council opposition to renewable energy projects through new legislation designed to give Whitehall the final say on large-scale projects. However, the new rules only cover a handful of proposed wind farms in the UK, with the vast majority of proposed projects still at the whim of local authorities.

TCPA energy policy manager Kate Henderson said there was an urgent need for more ambitious reforms. 'The planning system can play a key part in tackling climate change by ensuring we get the right amount of renewable energy, by encouraging zero-carbon development and by shaping development which reduces the need to travel by car,' she said. 'But despite some excellent rhetoric, much of the planning system is still locked in the age of stupid. It allows carbon-intensive development and often refuses real solutions to climate change such as renewable energy projects.'

Communities and Local Government has committed to updating the Planning Policy Statement (PPS) on climate change, together with the PPS on renewable energy, in the Renewable Energy Strategy in July this year. The aim is to publish a draft combined PPS for public consultation by the end of the year.

Speaking on behalf of the coalition, TCPA chief planner Dr Hugh Ellis said: 'We need effective strategic action where we all take responsibility for reducing emissions. Justice and sustainable development have to be at the heart of the system. It’s not about mindless deregulation; it’s about putting the planning system to work to save our communities.'

However, the renewable energy sector is dubious about councils zoning areas for renewable energy projects. Gaynor Hartnell, chief policy officer for the Renewable Energy Association, said: 'We agree with much of the position statement but we don’t think that mapping “areas-of-opportunity” would be helpful for renewable energy development. It has been used for wind energy in Wales and parts of Scotland but has not been a success. Wind energy developers know best where to site projects. It’s their day job.'