Power to the People: How Town Planning Changes and Technology Are Enabling Community-Owned Energy Projects

The UK’s energy landscape is undergoing a quiet revolution as communities are increasingly empowered to harness local renewable energy. Recent changes to town planning policy and advancements in energy storage technology have unlocked new opportunities for community-owned energy projects. By forming Community Land Trusts and utilising Battery Energy Storage Systems, communities can achieve energy autonomy, reduce costs, and contribute to a sustainable future. Discover how these developments are paving the way for a more inclusive and resilient energy system.

 

Can recent changes to town planning unlock a community-owned energy revolution?

‘The Big 6’ is a term used to describe the relative monopoly that the largest half-dozen UK energy providers hold in the UK. With gigantic, centralised facilities, the overheads for these companies are substantial. The David to such Goliaths are the many homeowners who have utilised their roof space to install their own solar panels. With home ownership falling in recent years (and set to continue), many people don’t own their own roof space but still want to be a stakeholder in harnessing local energy potential. There is a middle way between David and Goliath for communities to come together and have energy autonomy. Two recent developments have made this middle way viable—one is a political/legislative change, and the other is technological.

The key government policy enabler is the ‘Revision to the Town Planning Guidance’ in the December 2024 revision of the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF). The guidance for town planners enables Community Land Trusts (CLT) as a vehicle for people with a common development goal. Once formed, a CLT is able to raise funds and develop sites for all manner of purposes, including community-owned energy infrastructure.

The key technological enabler for local sustainable energy infrastructure is the use of Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS). BESS first hit the headlines back in 2017 when Elon Musk placed a 50 million dollar bet that he could build a mega battery in Australia in less than 100 days to solve their power outage problems. This timeline did not include the length of time it took to get planning permission! It would have been a much less safe wager if Elon was betting on building one in the UK. Recognising such barriers existed previously, Energy UK’s chief executive, Dhara Vyas, said:

“…The Prime Minister’s speech identified the planning system as one of those [barriers], and it was a welcome recognition of the necessity of streamlining the process for building crucial infrastructure…”

Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) are essential for stabilising the energy grid and ensuring a consistent electricity supply. These systems store excess energy generated from renewable sources like wind and solar, releasing it back into the grid when needed. BESS can also significantly reduce energy costs by smoothing energy demand and supply (reducing peaks of energy excess or energy demand). This helps reduce the cost of energy by storing energy at off-peak times when electricity is cheaper and releasing it at higher demand peaks. The advantages for communities are obvious and persuasive, even to those who feel less urgency toward the climate emergency.

So, with both the political will and energy storage technology becoming more attainable for groups outside the UK’s Big 6, it is now possible for communities to start planning how to harness local power.

 

What are the remaining planning challenges for local renewable energy?

Achieving planning success is all about making a reasoned and evidenced argument to the public that any given development has their interests at heart and that the concerns have been heard and addressed. Below we discuss two of the most frequently cited concerns of communities sceptical of energy infrastructure on their doorstep.

BESS projects require closeness to existing electrical substations and therefore are mostly located on greenfield land. This leads to concerns from the public about potential habitat disruption and landscape changes [1]. Town planners leading such a community initiative can steer the commissioning of necessary landscape and ecological impact assessments and engage the community in the discussion through public consultation.

Another common concern is the proximity of BESS installations to residential areas regarding potential risks to fire safety. To minimise delays, early liaison with the Fire and Rescue Service (FRS) is always the best way forward. With new battery technology always improving, the risks of fires have been reducing over the years, with only one BESS fire accident in the UK in 2020 in Liverpool. Therefore, although an important consideration, the real risk is minimal and improving with technology and such concerns can be heard and addressed through the engagement of fire risk consultants and a thoughtful community engagement strategy.

 

The next steps are to form a Community Land Trust and harness local energy

We advocate for a town-planning-led process, as such expertise is key to establishing the viability of a given site very early in the process. The team at WWA Studios can talk you through the following steps:

  • Forming a Community Land Trust
  • Careful site selection for the development of energy infrastructure
  • Communication strategies with local communities
  • Engagement with relevant statutory stakeholders and local authorities
  • Appointment of necessary consultants to address ecology, archaeology, landscape, flood risk, highways, drainage, and fire safety strategies that will assist in achieving planning permission.
  • Submission of planning applications

 

Our experienced town planners are well placed to advise on the barriers and opportunities for people looking to take advantage of this opportunity. If you have a project in mind, WWA’s Director of Planning, Ifti Maniar to draw on his expertise on the feasibility of taking it forward. You are welcome to get in touch with us on 0123 552 3139.

 

[1] BESS: The charged debate over battery energy storage systems – BBC News

 

 

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