11 December 2006

 

Planning Aplications

The following minutes have been produced by Sustainable Youlgraves chairman and planning officer, John Youatt john@youatt.co.uk regarding the planning aplications meeting that took place on Monday 6th November.

Note of meeting addressed by Hugh Ellis, national planning officer for FoE. Planning applications for RENEWABLE ENERGY (RE) http://www.foe.co.uk/

Hugh took us through the many layers of policy relevant to planning applications for renewable energy installations, e.g.

wind turbines; solar panels; pv tiles; methane tanks; water turbines/wheels

He said that there are paragraphs or policies that support renewable energy at most levels except some local authorities that are out of date. If they are out of date, higher level policies will be given weight. The levels are

National sustainability policy; planning policy statement (PPS) 1 – general policies; PPS 22 renewable energy; the forthcoming update to PPS 1, specifically on climate change and renewables; regional spatial strategy; local plans/local development frameworks and SPGs (supplementary guidance.) See TCPA/FoE discussion document.

ANY RE PLANNING APPLICATION SHOULD REFER TO ALL HELPFUL POLICIES.

FoE has published a draft PPS 26 on climate change together with 20 other green organisations, including the Council for National Parks (CNP) and the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) (and its local branch, the Friends of the Peak District FPD is in tune with it.)

All LPAs and NPAs (local planning authorities) must give weight to the update of PPS 1 when it becomes Govt policy, even if their own plans have not “caught up”.

There is also a Climate Change Bill that might take small RE schemes outside planning control.

I added that any LPA or NPA can publish an emergency SPG – supplementary planning guidance. The PDNPA has done so http://www.peakdistrict.gov.uk/ . But it doesn’t seem to have enabled many approvals, until the Members approved a 6kW turbine against officers’ advice recently. Hooray.

And the CPRE Yorkshire branch (CPRE PDSY) has recommended approval of three big turbines just outside the park. And FPD is working with us on water power.

Conclusions

Hugh and I believe no one should be shy of developing a scheme or project now. By the time it reaches the planning committee, policies will support it and /or it will be permitted development.
Ask your Local Planning Authority to rush through an SPG adopting climate change policies. Tell your LPA it is too late to wait for the current local planning framework to be completed.

05 December 2006

 

The Matlock Masterplan

The Matlock Masterplan. ........ Feedback on the Masterplan is required by 21 December. I think it would be great if members of the Forum could comment on any issues we see as important and submit them from the Forum.
Words need to be matched by action and we can try to influence DDDC to incorporate more renewables, or things like rainwater harvesting, into the plans. It is important that we respond really and come up with some sensible, rational suggestions.
Please come to the Boat House pub on Dale Rd on the A6, just on the way out of Matlock at 8pm on Wednesday 13 December to contribute. This will be a nice way to meet others, share ideas and discuss any thing else that needs to be discussed eg any planning issues/problems or ideas for next year, perhaps we can look at ideas for an energy fair too.
Any comments if you cannot make it to lozcol@lineone.net (bring your Masterplan copy with you!)

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