Agenda item

Tom Buttrick, Team Leader, Planning Policy, will present the enclosed briefing on streamlining renewable energy applications.

The chair introduced the item by explaining this is part of a mini review.  Tom Buttrick, a Team Leader from the council’s Planning Policy Team, was then invited to present the briefing that was circulated with the supplemental agenda, on streamlining domestic renewable energy planning applications.

The following points were made in the subsequent discussion: 

• The officer lead advised that the council offers a pre-application advice service for applications for domestic renewable energy, heat pumps and insulation applications, which is now free of charge. There is also improved guidance on the planning division website.  Officers will provide phone and email advice to applicants seeking pre-application advice. The officer undertook to provide clarification on how long this has been available free of charge.

• There was a recent soft launch of ‘Find Out If You Need Planning Permission’ service, which is a digital tool on the planning division website.  It has also launched in Lambeth and Buckinghamshire

• The commission heard that officers have recently focused on improving the initial application process for renewable energy systems, however there is an intention to look at this in the round, and the officer drew members attention to further work set out under point 26 in the report; particularly work with the council’s Climate Change Team.  He advised that there is an updated climate emergency action plan going to cabinet next week.

• Members commented that they had received feedback from residents saying it is difficult to apply for solar panels to be installed, and yet this is something the council want residents to do. The officer acknowledged feedback received from councillors and that officers have been taking account of this. Members asked if more formal feedback from residents on the application process has been sought, and data collated on the number of people applying for a ‘lawful development certificate’. In response the officer said this type of feedback had not yet been sought from applicants, however it could well be a useful exercise, but would require officer capacity. He estimated that there are about 50 applications per year that could include renewables, and the service could potentially contact neighbouring boroughs to ask for comparable figures. He added that the recent changes made to the planning process are designed to make it easier to make an application for renewable energy installations, and that the ‘Find Out If You Need Planning Permission’ service has undergone user testing.

• Members sought clarification that the ‘Find Out If You Need Planning Permission’ service and planning advice service are able to identify if an applicant needs to apply planning permission or if this is permitted development for a renewable energy installation, and the officer responded that taken together they would.  Members asked why the outcome would be either ‘planning permission required’ or a recommendation to apply for a ‘permitted development certificate’, given the cost. The officer explained this was to provide assurance that the development was lawful, for example if a property was to be sold and the seller needed confirmation

• The officer was asked if advice was mainly given to owner-occupiers, or more widely and the officer responded that the Planning Team have given advice to the New Homes team regarding solar installation - particularly in regard to the Green Homes Fund.

• A member asked why eight weeks is given as the timescale to provide a Lawful Development Certificate and if the council would want to shorten it.  The officer explained that eight weeks is the maximum allowed. He added that on occasions there does need be a statutory 21 day consultation period when Planning Permission is required. Objections can be noise from air source heat pumps, so advice can be to install a cover. For solar panels, there can be issues if the application site is a heritage asset, and it may be that alternative roof slopes or locations for panels have a lesser impact on the heritage building.  The commission discussed introducing a commitment to process applications as quickly as possible.

• Members asked if ending the fee for pre-application advice for renewable energy and insulation has proved value for money, and the officer said it that the data could identify how well this is used. The council’s rational for eliminating the fee is that there is a climate emergency so this is not a ‘business as usual’ scenario but about removing barriers to the installation of renewables. The fees from householder applications are also a small amount given most planning revenue is from higher fees from large developments. Planning application fees have recently been increased on a sliding scale. The council has received government funding for the development of digital tools that seek to improve planning services including a tool ‘Find Out if You Need Planning Permission, which is pending a formal launch. The officer indicated that the council could look more at the wider issue of fees.

• A member suggested looking at installation that might stem from Solar Together, through the GLA initiative. The officer said while he could look into installations that arise from Solar Together, this would not be captured in existing Planning Division data.

• The officer was asked about planning enquiries and permissions for external wall insulation given the evidence received in the previous Energy scrutiny review that was conducted last year (2021) on the importance of taking a ‘Fabric First’ approach prior to installing renewable energy.  A member asked if it was possible to ascertain how many applications have been turned down because of heritage concerns, for either renewable energy or external insulation. The officer commented that there is a balancing act between heritage and the installation of retrofit measures and renewable energy, and the team seek to sensitively enable the delivery of measures to improve the environmental impact of buildings, including renewable energy, in applications. The officer emphasised that the Planning Policy team are a very keen and environmentally aware team, who will be consulting on further changes to planning policy and guidance that will tackle climate change mitigation and adaptation.  

• The officer remarked that this is a very opportune time to look at planning policy as the recently adopted Southwark Plan is being reviewed in line with the declaration of the 2030 net zero borough target to tackle to the Climate Emergency. He went on to comment that the previous item on Cargo Bikes suggested that more could be done through planning policy to enable shared  Cargo Bike schemes, similar to the promotion of EV car clubs, to complement the high cycling standards in the Southwark Plan.

• The commission discussed the options for producing a report given the opportunity to influence will be this autumn. The project manager advised that there was no need to wait until the end of the administrative year and it would be possible to complete this review at the next meeting, however there were certain additional pieces of information arising from this session that could be useful to inform the report.

• Commission members discussed including a recommendation to shorten the timescales for processing renewable energy planning applications, ensuring potential officer capacity required to deliver this, and the role cabinet has in responding to scrutiny recommendations and deciding if they are feasible.

RESOLVED

This review will be wrapped up at the next meeting.

Officers will supply the following information:

Planning applications

• How many domestic renewable and applications has LBS processed over the last five years?
• What application types were they (householder, council housing, social housing etc.?)
• What types of domestic renewables did they apply for?
• How many were approved, refused, appealed, upheld, and overturned? What were the reasons
• Where the permissions implemented?
• Do we have any data on the implementation of domestic renewables under Permitted Development that did not apply for consent?
• How many planning enforcement cases have, we had on domestic renewables? What were the reasons for enforcement and outcomes?
• How many external insulation applications have we received, approved, refused and why?

• How do neighbouring boroughs compare to these numbers? (Lambeth, Lewisham, Hackney, etc.)
• What policy or process streamlining to support the deployment of domestic renewables have these neighbouring boroughs implemented?

• User research into the experience applicants have had with their planning applications for domestic renewables to identify where improvements to the service can be made

• How do we improve clarity for residents on the process and services so it is easy as possible
• Service review to consider changes to planning services: commitment to determine application quicker than 8 weeks, reducing and/or simplifying fees
• Provide an update planning division website with new guidance

Pre-application service

• When did the free of charge pre-application service for domestic renewables and insulation commence?
• How many free of charge pre-applications has the division processed and is currently processed?
• How has this service been publicised to residents?
• How much money has this saved?
• How much officer time has it taken to deliver.

‘Find out If You Need Planning Permission (FOIYNPP)’ digital tool

• When is the ‘Find Out If You Need Planning Permission (FOIYNPP)’ digital tool service ‘fully’ launching? ( currently 1 August) – Link to tool: https://editor.planx.uk/southwark/find-out-if-you-need-planning-permission/preview
• What domestic renewables and other environmental measures ( e.g. external insulation) does FOIYNPP tool cover
• What communication to promote the tool to our residents is taking place for the launch?

Other

• How do we balance competing policy objectives: climate emergency vs heritage protection