Planners will get help to deliver a low carbon economy and respond to the challenges of climate change, Planning Minister Iain Wright announced today.

Communities and Local Government (CLG), the Homes and Communities Academy and the Planning Advisory Service (PAS) have joined forces to provide new web-based guidance on planning and climate change.

One year ago, CLG published the Planning Policy Statement on Climate Change to put tackling climate change at the heart of planning.

Since the policy was published, planners and councils have been grappling with the challenge of translating this into practice on the ground.

The new guidance will, for example, help councils deliver a new wave of local renewable energy and community power schemes like combined heat and power plants (CHP), as well as climate proofing new development.

Planning Minister Iain Wright said:

"The planning system must respond to the urgent challenges presented by climate change. Moving towards a low-carbon economy requires a revolution in the way we design, heat and power where we live and work.

"We have already introduced new rules to ensure planners must promote green growth. This practice guidance will help planners support achievement of our zero-carbon targets and shape sustainable communities resilient to climate change."

Jayne Crosse, Director of Strategy at the HCA Academy, said:

"It’s vital that planners and other regeneration professionals are given the right knowledge and support to help reduce emissions and adapt local communities to our changing climate. This planning guidance complements the HCA Academy’s work to help people understand climate change so that it’s at the heart of everything they do."

Sarah Richards, Head of PAS, said:

"Moving towards a low-carbon economy is a huge new challenge requiring a concerted effort from a huge number of organisations - from local authorities, to developers, to environmental groups and local communities themselves. This practical guidance has clear signposts to policy areas and how to implement it. Therefore, it will be invaluable in underpinning both plan-making and the decision-making on applications.”

The guidance can be accessed through our Planning or Climate Change themes or here.

Information on the guidance:

• The Planning Policy Statement (PPS) on climate change was published on 17th December 2007. It sets out how planning, in providing for the new homes, jobs and infrastructure needed by communities, should help shape places with lower carbon emissions and resilient to the climate change now accepted as inevitable.
• The content of the web-based guidance is drawn from the 'living' draft that was developed on behalf of CLG by Environmental Resources Management and Faber Maunsell, and made available in March 2008. The guidance has been refreshed in the light of stakeholder engagement and developed into a web-based resource so that it can be refreshed with emerging practice and examples.
• The guidance sits within the policy framework provided by the PPS and does not make or change policy. It is designed to secure good practice.
• Regional planning bodies and local authorities are responding to a rapidly changing environment. Professional training and access to the latest advice and information is key to success and there is now a number of training programmes for the planning community orgnaised by the HCA Academy, PAS and The Centre for Sustainable Energy.