Unitary Development Plan policy PE13
10%(+) Renewable energy policy briefing

 

In October 2003 Merton became the first local authority in the UK to include a policy in its Unitary Development Plan that requires new non-residential developments to generate at least 10% of their energy needs from renewable energy equipment such as solar panels and wind turbines.

 

The actual policy reads: “All new non-residential development above a threshold of 1,000 sqm will be expected to incorporate renewable energy production equipment to provide at least 10% of predicted energy requirements.”
 
Merton is now revising the policy so that residential developments will also have to cut their CO2 emissions by at least 10%. This radical policy is an example of how a local authority with an instinctive understanding of the issue of climate change, and that has some imagination and determination, has been able to change the landscape of low carbon planning in a way that has significant implications for the renewable energy economy.

The policy has caught the imagination of many boroughs across the UK, and as they follow Merton’s example and adopt similar prescriptive policies of their own it will create a huge demand for renewable energy equipment.

Merton has also played the key role in ensuring that such renewable energy policies have become embedded into the mainstream, and was instrumental in persuading the UK Government to include an addition in its national planning policy guidance (PPS22), confirming both the legality of such policies, and its desire to see other boroughs emulate them.

The first development required to respond to the policy was 4,500 sqm in size and comprised of ten light industrial units. The predicted CO2 emissions from the building were cut by 10% through the installation of ten small wind turbines and 9 kWp of photovoltaics. Contrary to some expectations, the developer responded positively to the policy, seeing it as an opportunity for them to lead the field in designing and marketing low carbon buildings for the future.

The collaborative approach between Merton and the developer in implementing the policy has been a great success and they are now planning to build their second, third and fourth developments in the borough. 

What Merton Council has achieved through its radical 10% renewable energy policy is to demonstrate the power of local government to combat climate change, while at the same time driving the renewable energy economy and lowering fuel bills for residents and businesses.