Potential Energy

The UK's planning system is Development Plan led and intended to give greater certainty to communities and developers as to where development could be acceptable. Government, therefore, looks to the Development Plan as a means to identify where renewable energy developments should be appropriately located and to plan positively so as to achieve the 2020 renewable energy target.

Is the Development Plan system fulfilling this role?

Lichfields has ranked and mapped local authority areas by renewable energy generation, relative to their geographical size and the availability of land free from certain restrictive policy designations including Green Belt. A range of local authorities were selected through this process and their Development Plans reviewed.