The government is consulting on a revised National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) which sets out the policies affecting planning. Draft Policy PM13 proposes to remove local authorities' freedom to set higher energy standards than those required by the national standard.
Consultation closes on 10th March.
PLEASE RESPOND TO THE CONSULTATION BY 10 MARCH if you disagree with this proposal
Respond by emailing PlanningPolicyConsultation@communities.gov.uk. Copy in your local councillors (find them by visiting this link).
Points likely to carry weight:
Higher energy standards mean lower energy bills for residents
The proposal conflicts with the Warm Homes Plan - GOV.UK recently announced by the government which recognized the importance of energy efficiency for decarbonization.
Surrey's decarbonisation targets will be harder to meet if local authorities are unable to make energy standards higher than the national standard.
Relying on solar panels is flawed. First, income from solar panels is rarely passed to tenants, whose energy bills will remain high. Second, reducing bills through solar is only possible if the grid has no constraints. There are many grid constraints in Surrey.
Find out more about the consultation from the charity Bioregional here
Find the government’s page about the consultation here.