London Plan Energy Planning Requirements
Planning applications in London need to be accompanied by an Energy Strategy which details how the development will meet energy and emission targets in line with GLA and local planning policy.
Why do you need a London Plan?
The Greater London Authority’s new London Plan was released in December 2017 and changes have been submitted in almost all areas of energy policy. As with the current London Plan, the new plan will a big impact on the energy strategies for new buildings. The main focus is still to “be lean, be clean, be green”.
However the Mayor has now taken it much further, with new energy requirements, minimum levels and approaches for all domestic developments within London becoming much stricter.
On larger developments, the London Plan Energy Strategy will need to show how a zero carbon standard will be achieved through a mix of renewable technologies, heating networks, fabric improvements and carbon offset payments. Planners need to consider how the building design can reduce the need for cooling systems, calculate the embodied energy of the materials used, examine risks of summer overheating and show how the development may impact local air quality.
On top of this, the GLA has adopted a newer calculation method (known as SAP10 emissions), which steers developers away from gas boiler solutions in favour of the latest heat pump technology. Smaller developments may not have to commit to the same level of sustainable construction, but requirements are still tough to achieve with a 35% emissions improvement over standard Building Regulations.
Important points to remember:
In place now!
As of March 2nd, 2021, The London Plan has been officially adopted.
Projects affected by the plan:
Projects such as the development of more than 150 residential units or buildings over 30m in height and commercial buildings over 2500 m2 are obligated to follow this plan.
Whole Life Carbon (WLC)
To help mitigate greenhouse gas emissions, policy S12 calls for WLC assessments.
Circular Economy Statement
Must be included with all referable proposals under Policy S17 which seeks to reduce waste and support a circular economy.
How can Focus 360 Energy help you meet the requirements of London Plan Policy SI 2?
Pre-application stage
The pre-application stage is the first step in the development of a new building or development in London. It is the time to establish the viability of the project. This typically involves presenting a planning application to the local planning authority, and ensuring that the project adheres to local and national planning rules.
The developer will identify the potential need for any additional documents which may be required (for example, environmental impact assessments) and ascertain the opinion of local residents and other stakeholders to ensure their project meets their expectations.
Planning Submission stage
The Planning Submission stage of the London Plan is a critical step in the development of London’s spatial planning framework.
This is where developers submit their proposals for development projects to the Mayor’s Office for review. Focus 360 Energy can help developers navigate this stage by providing a thorough understanding of the planning process, local regulations, and the requirements of a successful planning submission.
Post-construction stage
The Post-construction stage of the London Plan is an important component in ensuring the city sustains its energy efficiency goals. The plan has a number of objectives and tasks in this stage that require attention in order to ensure a successful transition.
These objectives include ensuring buildings are performing to their expected energy efficiency standards, capturing renewable energy sources, making sure new developments keep up with the latest standards, and working on the retrofitting of certain building that have exceeded their intended energy efficiency.
Energy Statements for the London Plan
It’s essential to keep reducing our carbon footprint, and that starts right at the design phase. To illustrate this, we adhere to a set of steps which enable us to make a real difference: from assessing materials through to understanding how our products interact with the environment. Together, this helps us create an eco-friendly future for all!
Keeping your emissions in check is a crucial part of meeting the Building Regulations. To ensure success, we suggest our ‘fabric first’ approach to reducing your carbon footprint.
This involves bigger insulation, air tightness and thermal bridging measures that will help you achieve this goal.
Heating and cooling equipment should also be carefully chosen to best reduce energy demand – making sure you assess any connection to heat networks or CHP plants too.
Don’t forget on-site renewable energy generation which could play an important role in this process! With informed expertise and friendly advice throughout the journey, we’ll make sure you have all the information needed for a sustainable future.
Our Complete Solution
Focus 360 Energy can help ensure you have everything you need to meet compliance on your development with a “one stop shop” approach having multiple services available that cover Overheating Analysis, Whole Life Cycle, Circular Economy, occupational energy and on-site air and acoustic testing.
Having to use SAP10emissions on major schemes makes it more complex. The team at Focus 360 Energy is aware these results can be very different from regular SAP and SBEM calculations, and can explain what this means for your development.
Did you know that we also offer a range of other services?
Acoustic Design Solutions
Water Consumption Calculations
Why Choose Us?
- Professional and reliable
- Flexible appointments to suit you
- Friendly, practical advice
- 10 years’ experience in the industry
- We work with you every step of the way
- Affordable pricing