Sustainable Energy Planning Group

Chair: David Edmondson - Carrick District Council

The Sustainable Energy Planning Group will bring together the appropriate personnel from Local Authority Planning and Building Control Departments to ensure best practice sustainable energy procedures for both developers and local authorities in rural and urban regeneration and development.

It also has a role to provide a link between developers and planners to assist with best practice as well as a protocol that will benefit local community awareness and understanding. The group will be assisted by regional representatives of South West Regional Development Agency, Government Office South West and Regen SW. The group can also invite various experts from CSEP to assist.

The Sustainable Energy Planning Group members include:

• Cornwall County Council and each district authority (Planning & Building Control officers)
• Government Office South West
• South West England Regional Development Agency
• Regen SW

The following organisations will also feed in to the Group:

• Local Stakeholders/Parish Town Councils
• Wind Energy technology Specialists
• Developers
• Combined Universities in Cornwall

Aims of the Sustainable Energy Planning Group:

The above combination of organisations/ individuals with appropriate responsibilities and ability to influence decision-makers is regarded as the appropriate forum to enable CSEP to:

• Developing the mechanisms to achieve a county-wide agreement on a minimum requirement for renewable technology integration in development.
• To work together with other members of CSEP to gain a better understanding of sustainable energy.
• To improve understanding through training on issues such as LDF’s, Regional Spatial Strategy and Government legislation.
• Planning authorities and developers to agree to sign a Protocol that will promote best practice and effective communication with local communities, prior to and during the submission of planning applications. The work of the group in this matter will be supported by the CSEP Local Authority Members’ Forum.
• Assist with the process of clear planning policies and guidance for onshore wind developments. Assist Cornwall’s Local Authorities to make Cornwall the first county in the SW for all its councils to sign the SW Wind Protocol.
• Liaise with and, when necessary, prepare relevant reports for the CSEP Jobs and Industry Group in order to maximise demand driven local jobs and industry opportunities.
• Assist South West Regional Development Agency, Regen SW and developers by providing a forum with Local Authorities and other local and regional agencies.

For details on the next meeting of the group, please see the CSEP Diary.

For more information regarding the Sustainable Energy Planning Group, please contact Sophie Acklin at sophie@csep.co.uk.