Weekly planning news

Labour to take tougher stance on council housing aims 

Speaking at the Labour Party Conference on 23 September, Labour’s Matthew Pennycook has warned that councils ‘failing’ to account for the required number of new homes in their local plans may face government intervention.  

He said - "If they are recalcitrant, if it means taking their local plans off them, this government is willing to do that." 

The Labour government’s focus so far has been on expediting local plan production, but Pennycook’s comments suggest future intervention could target councils setting housing numbers below their actual needs. Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner reinforced this tough stance earlier in the year, emphasising her readiness to take direct control of local plans if necessary. 

Pennycook’s remarks come as councils adjust to higher housing targets under proposed revisions to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), which included proposals which would see greater flexibility for ministers to intervene to ensure targets are met by councils. The consultation on these revisions closed last week, and the industry now awaits the new legislation to be published, which might take government some time to produce given the volume of responses.   

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UK Launch ‘Net Zero Carbon Buildings Standard’

On 24 September, the UK’s built environment took a major step towards achieving net zero, as the pilot version of the first agreed methodology for defining net zero carbon buildings launched. The UK Net Zero Carbon Buildings Standard is² a collaborative effort by leading organizations including BBP, BRE, the Carbon Trust, CIBSE, RIBA, and UKGBC. 

The Standard provides a unified, free-to-access framework to verify that buildings align with the UK’s carbon and energy budgets. It addresses the absence of a consistent method to prove net zero status, reducing the risk of misleading claims in the sector. Covering key performance areas such as operational energy use, construction quality, and avoidance of fossil fuels, the Standard sets ambitious but attainable requirements to support the UK's climate goals. 

Katie Clemence-Jackson, Chair of the Standard’s Technical Steering Group, highlighted the significance of this new framework: “The Standard equips the industry to drive the positive change needed to meet our climate goals, by using data that aligns with what’s required to decarbonize the built environment.” 

The Standard is aimed at developers, investors, contractors, and building professionals across all sectors, providing them with the tools to ensure their buildings meet net zero carbon criteria. A pilot testing program will soon be launched to gather feedback from real-world projects. 

This initiative marks a turning point for the built environment industry, offering clarity, consistency, and a crucial pathway towards a sustainable future. 

Government to take ‘partnership’ approach when it comes to London plan setting

In a letter published on Monday, Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner announced a ‘partnership’ approach between the government and London Mayor Sadiq Khan; withdrawing a direction from the previous government which mandated the London Mayor to complete a partial review of the London Plan by September 2024 whilst emphasising housing delivery in the capital needs to ‘markedly’ increase. 

Rayner said that her “considered view” is such a review would be “better undertaken as part of the wider London Plan review that you are due to undertake to adopt an updated plan”.  

“Our new approach will take more fundamental action and focus on a partnership approach to build the housing that London needs and unlock the city’s economic potential.” 

Under the revised plans, London’s annual housing target has been significantly increased to 81,000 new homes, up from the previous target of 62,000 set by former Housing Secretary Michael Gove. 

In a further bid to speed up housing delivery, the government recently announced the New Homes Accelerator – a multi-faceted support programme aimed at speeding up housing delivery and uncovering the reasons behind low national housing build out. Our inaugural Market Insight Index found that over a million homes with permission are yet to be built.³ 

Gloucestershire battery storage project green-lit

South Gloucestershire Council has granted planning permission for a 99MW/99MWh battery storage project located in Iron Acton. The permission was granted by delegated decision. 

Balance Power's scheme, comprising 19 battery units, will store renewable energy during peak production times and supply it to the grid when demand is high. A biodiversity enhancement plan includes a 10 per cent increase in habitat units and a 119 per cent boost in hedgerow units. 

It is anticipated the battery storage unit will support approximately 26,700 homes and reduce CO2 by 18,300 tonnes annually, equivalent to taking 13,000 cars off the road. 

The National Energy System Operator’s latest Future Energy Scenarios report⁴ highlights how the UK’s energy storage infrastructure needs to expand to support the 2050 net zero carbon emissions target, with battery energy storage systems being one of the key solutions to providing the required flexibility that greater reliance on renewable sources brings. 

However, it’s ‘Pathways to Net Zero’ identifies that the available capacity of these systems will have to increase to at least 6 times current levels by 2050 to meet the target, meaning schemes such as this may become much more common in the future.

1. https://www.terraquest.co.uk/products-services/land-finding-services
2. https://www.nzcbuildings.co.uk/
3. https://www.planningportal.co.uk/services/professional-portal/planning-portal-application-index
4. https://www.neso.energy/publications/future-energy-scenarios-fes