Local plan policy

Policy GP2 of the Local Plan promotes the use of renewable energy within the design of new buildings.

Small-scale renewable energy developments
Large-scale renewable energy developments
National planning policy guidance
The Code for Sustainable Homes

Small-scale renewable energy developments (Policy U6)
Small-scale renewable energy developments to meet local energy needs will be permitted within the Park if the following criteria are met:

i) It will not adversely affect the character of the landscape, settlements or buildings either individually or as a consequence of a cumulative impact,

ii) It does not adversely affect the nature conservation value, the archaeological interest, residential or recreational amenity of the surrounding area.

The National Park Authority would welcome small-scale renewable energy schemes that result in local environmental benefits through, for instance, the removal or avoidance of the use of overhead wires.

Large-scale renewable energy developments (Policy U5)
Large-scale renewable energy developments of more than local importance will not be permitted unless it can be demonstrated that the objectives of the designation of the National Park area will not be compromised by the development, and any significant adverse effect on the qualities for which the area has been designated are clearly outweighed by the environmental, social and economic benefits. In the case of wind energy, development of more than one turbine or a single turbine with a ground to hub height of 25m or more will not be permitted.

National planning policy guidance
The government produces guidance for all planning authorities that deals with climate change and renewable energy issues. Copies of these documents can be found below:

PPS1 Supplement: Planning & Climate Change
PPS22: Renewable Energy
PPS22 Companion Guide

The Code for Sustainable Homes
The Code for Sustainable Homes is a national standard relating to the design and construction of sustainable homes. In the short-term, compliance with the Code is voluntary, but the Government is considering making this mandatory in the future.

The Code measures the sustainability of a home against design categories including energy, water, waste and pollution. The overall sustainability performance of the home is then rated on a scale from one to six stars, depending on the extent to which it has achieved Code standards. A six star home is the highest level, representing a “zero carbon home”, one where there are no net emissions of carbon dioxide from all energy use in the home. Further information about the Code for Sustainable Homes can be found on the Communities and Local Government website.