Policy information sourced from Brentwood Local Plan
BE03: Establishing Low Carbon and Renewable Energy Infrastructure Network
Renewable energy infrastructure
Innovative approaches to the installation and/or construction of energy generation facilities or low carbon homes which demonstrate sustainable use of resources and high energy efficiency levels will be supported.
Decentralised energy infrastructure
New development proposals of over 500 dwelling units, including brownfield and urban extensions, or where the clustering of new sites totals more than 500 units, should include energy masterplans to incorporate decentralised energy infrastructure in line with the following hierarchy:
- where there is an existing decentralised heat network with sufficient capacity or the capacity to expand, new development will be expected to connect to it;
- where there is no existing decentralised heat network with sufficient capacity or the capacity to expand, new development will be expected to deliver an onsite heat network, unless it can be demonstrated to the Council’s satisfaction that this would render the development unviable;
- where a developer is unable to deliver a decentralised heat network, it will need to be demonstrated to the satisfaction of the Council that the applicant has fully assessed all reasonably available options for its incorporation and delivery and has designed the development to allow future connection to a heat network unless it can be demonstrated that a lower carbon alternative has been put in place
New development will be expected to demonstrate that the heating and cooling systems have been selected according to the following heat hierarchy:
- connection to existing CHP/CCHP distribution network;
- site-wide renewable CHP/CCHP;
- site-wide gas-fired CHP/CCHP;
- site-wide renewable community heating/cooling;
- site-wide gas-fired community heating/cooling;
- individual building renewable heating.
For more information please see the Local Plan