| Topic: | Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:solar panels | |
| Posted by: | Joy Skinner | |
| Date/Time: | 10/11/12 14:31:00 |
Many thanks to Adam Beamish for sending these quotes from the National Planning Policy Framework published by the Government earlier this year. The primary aim of the NPPF seems to be to direct the attention of planning authorities to the high priority that needs to be given to sustainable development in general and to the generation of renewable energy in particular. Since Hounslow Council did not seem to be aware of the NPPF in wanting to remove our solar PV panels, we sent them the following extracts from the NPPF which are particularly relevant to their consideration of our panels. I agree that such policy statements are tedious but they should be guiding the decisions of Councils and in this instance they do not seem to be doing so. Extracts from National Planning Policy Framework 2. Planning law requires that applications for planning permission must be determined in accordance with the development plan,2 unless material considerations indicate otherwise.3 The National Planning Policy Framework must be taken into account in the preparation of local and neighbourhood plans, and is a material consideration in planning decisions.4 Planning policies and decisions must reflect and where appropriate promote relevant EU obligations and statutory requirements. Achieving sustainable development International and national bodies have set out broad principles of sustainable development. Resolution 42/187 of the United Nations General Assembly defined sustainable development as meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. The UK Sustainable Development Strategy Securing the Future set out five ‘guiding principles’ of sustainable development: living within the planet’s environmental limits; ensuring a strong, healthy and just society; achieving a sustainable economy; promoting good governance; and using sound science responsibly. ●● an environmental role – contributing to protecting and enhancing our natural, built and historic environment; and, as part of this, helping to improve biodiversity, use natural resources prudently, minimise waste and pollution, and mitigate and adapt to climate change including moving to a low carbon economy. 14. At the heart of the National Planning Policy Framework is a presumption in favour of sustainable development, which should be seen as a golden thread running through both plan-making and decision-taking. ●● support the transition to a low carbon future in a changing climate, taking full account of flood risk and coastal change, and encourage the reuse of existing resources, including conversion of existing buildings, and encourage the use of renewable resources (for example, by the development of renewable energy); 19. The Government is committed to ensuring that the planning system does everything it can to support sustainable economic growth. Planning should operate to encourage and not act as an impediment to sustainable growth. Therefore significant weight should be placed on the need to support economic growth through the planning system. P 15 ●● respond to local character and history, and reflect the identity of local surroundings and materials, while not preventing or discouraging appropriate innovation; 60. Planning policies and decisions should not attempt to impose architectural styles or particular tastes and they should not stifle innovation, originality or initiative through unsubstantiated requirements to conform to certain development forms or styles. It is, however, proper to seek to promote or reinforce local distinctiveness. Page 16 – 65 Local planning authorities should not refuse planning permission for buildings or infrastructure which promote high levels of sustainability because of concerns about incompatibility with an existing townscape, if those concerns have been mitigated by good design (unless the concern relates to a designated heritage asset and the impact would cause material harm to the asset or its setting which is not outweighed by the proposal’s economic, social and environmental benefits). Pages 21/22 – 93 Planning plays a key role in helping shape places to secure radical reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, minimising vulnerability and providing resilience to the impacts of climate change, and supporting the delivery of renewable and low carbon energy and associated infrastructure. This is central to the economic, social and environmental dimensions of sustainable development. 95. To support the move to a low carbon future, local planning authorities should: ●● plan for new development in locations and ways which reduce greenhouse gas emissions; ●● actively support energy efficiency improvements to existing buildings; and ●● when setting any local requirement for a building’s sustainability, do so in a way consistent with the Government’s zero carbon buildings policy and adopt nationally described standards. 96. In 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. 97. To help increase the use and supply of renewable and low carbon local planning authorities should recognise the responsibility on all communities to contribute to energy generation from renewable or low carbon sources. They should: ●● have a positive strategy to promote energy from renewable and low carbon sources; ●● design their policies to maximise renewable and low carbon energy development while ensuring that adverse impacts are addressed satisfactorily, including cumulative landscape and visual impacts; ●● consider identifying suitable areas for renewable and low carbon energy sources, and supporting infrastructure, where this would help secure the development of such sources;17 ●● support community-led initiatives for renewable and low carbon energy, including developments outside such areas being taken forward through neighbourhood planning; and ●● 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. |