Regen is leading a project for the Royal Town Planning Institute (South West) on Planning for a Smart Energy Future, with Pell Frischmann, the Landmark Practice and the University of the West of England.
At Renewable Futures, we held a lunchtime round table to discuss the issues with smart energy developers and public sector attendees. We enjoyed a lively discussion around what the planning system could do to support the roll out of smart energy technologies.
The dialogue tended to focus on the many examples of how the planning system gets it wrong, either due to un/mis-informed Planning Committees, officers and communities, or through well meaning intentions that have unintended consequences, such as requiring a particular smart energy solution that becomes obsolete by the time a housing development is built. However, participants were also able to suggest better ways of working, such as how authorities can share best practice or the need for Distribution Network Operators to get involved in site selection for new developments during Local Plan development.
The next step of the project is a survey to gather people’s experiences, ideas and case studies on how to ensure the planning system is promoting smart energy. Please click here to complete our survey.