The award-winning South Downs Local Plan is being reviewed to ensure it is up-to-date and addresses important issues such as nature recovery, climate change, affordable housing and helping local communities thrive. Local communities, stakeholders and the development sector are invited to comment before 17th March.
To inform the Local Plan Review, a Renewable Energy Study has been undertaken. We worked with South Downs National Park Authority (SDNPA) and Land Use Consultants Ltd (LUC) to help achieve this.
The recommendations of the report are that, if the Authority wish to allocate sites they should work with the landowners of the best scoring sites to establish their ongoing appetite, undertake further assessments to determine site suitability, and establish if the sites are viable and deliverable – particularly in relation to grid connection issues. It also recommends that the Authority should work with organisations like the Centre for Sustainable Energy and Energise South Downs in providing additional guidance on community-led energy schemes and potential funding mechanisms.
The summary states that, with the South Downs National Park in the process of preparing its next Local Plan there is a clear window of opportunity to ensure that the new Local Plan sets out a step change in the support given to the development of renewable and local carbon energy projects, especially those that are community-led and meet the needs of the local community.
Energise South Downs thanks SDNPA and LUC for the opportunity to work on this report.
Find out more here.
Respond the the Local Plan Review here.
