Policy information sourced from the Aylesbury Local Plan

C3 Renewable Energy

All development schemes should look to achieve greater efficiency in the use of natural resources.

Planning applications involving renewable energy development will be encouraged provided that there is no unacceptable adverse impact, including cumulative impact, on the following issues:

  • landscape and biodiversity including designations, protected habitats and species
  • visual impacts on local landscapes
  • the historic environment including designated and non designated assets and their settings d. the Green Belt, particularly visual impacts on openness
  • aviation activities
  • highways and access issues, and
  • residential amenity.

The council will seek to ensure that all development schemes achieve greater efficiency in the use of natural resources, including measures minimise energy use, improve water efficiency and promote waste minimisation and recycling. Developments should also minimise, reuse and recycle construction waste wherever possible.

In seeking to achieve carbon emissions reductions, the council will assess developments using an ‘energy hierarchy’. An energy hierarchy identifies the order in which energy issues should be addressed and is illustrated as follows:

  • reducing energy use, in particular by the use of sustainable design and construction measures
  • supplying energy efficiently and giving priority to decentralised energy supply
  • making use of renewable energy
  • making use of allowable solutions, and l. an energy statement will be required for proposals for major residential developments (over 10 dwellings), and all non-residential development, to demonstrate how the energy hierarchy has been applied.

With continually improving standards through building regulations, new buildings carry reduced need for heating and loads are based on winter heat and all year-round hot water demands. A feasibility assessment for district heating (DH) and cooling utilising technologies such as combined heat and power (CHP), including biomass CHP or other low carbon technology, will be required for:

  • all residential developments of 100 dwellings or more
  • all residential developments in off-gas areas for 50 dwellings or more, and
  • all applications for non-domestic developments above 1000sqm floorspace.

Where feasibility assessments demonstrate that decentralised energy systems are deliverable and viable and can secure at least 10% of their energy from decentralised and renewable or low carbon sources, such systems will be encouraged as part of the development.

Planning permission will normally be granted for off-site renewable energy (for example, but not confined, to wind, solar, biomass and energy crops, anaerobic digestion and landfill gas), where it has been demonstrated that all the following criteria have been met:

  • There is no significant adverse effect on landscape or townscape character, ecology and wildlife, heritage assets whether designated or not, areas or features of historical significance or amenity value
  • there is no significant adverse impact on local amenity, health and quality of life as a result of noise, emissions to atmosphere, electronic interference or outlook through unacceptable visual intrusion, and
  • there is no adverse impact on highway safety. Where development is granted, mitigation measures will be required as appropriate to minimise any environmental impacts. When considering the social and economic benefits, the council will encourage community participation/ownership of a renewable energy scheme.

Aylesbury Vale is located within an area of water stress and as such the council will seek a higher level of water efficiency than required in the Building Regulations, with developments achieving a limit of 110 litres/person/day.

Applications for the adaption of older buildings should include improved energy and water efficiency and retrofitted renewable energy systems where possible.

Policy information sourced from the Aylesbury Local Plan