To contribute to carbon emissions targets, the Council will support low and zero carbon approaches to heating and cooling homes and buildings.
A range of renewable heat technologies will be supported including, but not limited to, heat pumps (ground, air and water sourced), geothermal, hydrogen, hydro, combined heating and power (CHP), biomass and solar thermal.
The Council will in principal support proposals that take heat from alternative sources, including the ground, rivers, waste and mine waters. Depending on the scale and nature of the development, proposals for renewable heat generation may be required to be assessed against the relevant renewable energy criteria in the table above.
Heat networks and energy centres will be encouraged in new developments at 'major' scale in the hierarchy of development. Major and national development with waste or surplus heat should be co-located in areas of heat demand, where the uses are compatible with regards to all other policies of the Plan.
Such proposals should be accompanied by a Heat and Power Plan which clearly demonstrates how energy recovered from the development will be used to produce energy and heat. Where a heat network is not viable, developers should ensure that sites have the capability to be connected to any heat networks that may be developed in the future. The installation of pipework to the curtilage of development and safeguarding of piperuns within developments to allow future connection will be required unless the submitted energy statement demonstrates that there are significant financial or technical barriers to installation.
For smaller scale developments and where heat networks are not viable, developments should provide an alternative zero or low emissions heating system. The proposed heating system should form part of the Energy Statement required through Policy RE3.
Domestic biomass energy systems can be supported where:
- networked systems are not available
- the impact on local air quality and of smoke on neighbouring properties has been considered and demonstrated to be acceptable
Energy and Electric Vehicle Charging supplementary guidance supports this policy, setting out in greater detail the assessment criteria that will apply to each heat generating technology.