PETERBOROUGH ENERGY STUDY
East of England, UK
PROJECT TEAM & PARTNERS
- Opportunity Peterborough
- Peterborough City Council - Strategic Planning, Private Sector Housing and Climate Change.
- Energy Centre for Sustainable Communities (Consultants)
- Renewables East (minor)
Distribution and Transmission Network Operators
CONTRACT VALUE
€60,000
FUNDING
Public funds 33% from Peterborough City Council, 67% own core funding (Urban Regeneration Company, Opportunity Peterborough).
TIMESCALE
10 Months
DESCRIPTION OF THE PROJECT
- To identify the energy needs and requirements for the Peterborough Unitary Authority area relative to existing and planned housing and employment growth and determine how this demand may be met through local low carbon/renewable energy provision. This will be achieved through a full understanding of energy use and demand alongside full characterisation of the existing and future spatial profile to determine energy action zones where similar or complementary energy use is present. This then assists the selection of appropriate low carbon technology to match the energy and spatial characteristics.
- Assess the environmental impacts associated with each form of energy provision relative to Peterborough (in particular carbon footprint) using suitable multi criteria analysis and indicators.
- Inform the local planning policy framework, particularly the emerging Core Strategy, Development Control Policies Plan and any work required for the Regional Spatial Strategy review at a sub-regional level.
OUTCOMES
Energy Baseline report - providing information on the capacity, constraints and opportunities of the existing energy supply networks, an appraisal of the future energy requirements relative to key growth areas and an initial indication of the scale o energy provision needed to support such growth.
Preliminary Energy Option Report - providing an overarching vision for the future energy provision for Peterborough, brief yet COM comprehensive review of the energy options available and clear recommendation as to how the future provision of energy can be met in both strategic and site specific (technical) terms (relative to key growth areas).
Energy Study report - to provide a definitive study and action
plan that can lead to the delivery of the energy study relative to
the existing and future growth of Peterborough. The study must
provide comprehensive technical solutions for key sites/areas of
the city and identify the options for delivering such a study,
including indicative programmes, costings and delivery mechanisms,
as well as their environmental impacts/benefits.
PROJECT TARGETS
The project was established to meet a set of bespoke sustainability
targets identified through the Integrated Growth Study (additional
information available on request)
The energy solutions identified will enable Peterborough to grow substantially and sustainably and meet Government carbon reduction targets for carbon reduction.
How Peterborough achieves national and local CO2 reduction targets and contributes to emerging national decentralised renewable provision.
LEGISLATION
• East of England Regional Spatial Strategy targets
• Climate Change Act 2008
• Planning legislation and guidance relating to Local
Development Framework
CHALLENGES FACED
Scale and complexity of data collection for accuracy of energy baseline. The study needed current data together with detailed data on all new proposed developments in the city between now and 2026 (e.g. floor space, dwelling type, phasing etc at four year intervals) for residential, municipal and industrial sectors. A significant amount of this data had already been secured as part of the Integrated Growth Study (published in 2008) and this was combined together with research undertaken for the City Centre Action Plan. To complete the picture, close working with a range of developers was essential. This approach enabled the project to cope effectively with multi-level data, multi-agency partnerships.
The evidential requirements necessary to facilitate the translation of Energy Study outputs into local planning policy for our Local Development Framework - linked closely to the collection and collation issues described above but work is still ongoing to ensure that developing policies are influenced by and are instrumental in delivering Energy Study outputs.
Growth target uncertainty. In essence, the study was undertaken against an uncertain future regarding Regional Spatial Strategy (RSS) targets and the economic downturn. The study focussed on the current RSS growth targets to ensure that all development plans had been taken into consideration and energy solutions were developed that could cater for all of the required growth.
Stakeholder and community engagement and the importance of local buy-in to the work. A proactive approach adopted at key stages to ensure shared understanding of the project and the Authority's energy needs. Contact was made with local businesses, developers, agencies, environmental groups, Councillors and the public. Rural communities, off the gas network, were particularly targeted. Contact was made through written communication, via the Citizens Panel and through workshops and meetings.
INNOVATION
The key innovation was the methodology devised and implemented as the basis for delivering the project which is based on a city wide approach to the planned development of Peterborough. This work is facilitating a proactive approach to securing a low carbon future for the city focused on meeting local energy needs at the community level.
Peterborough has committed itself to delivering substantial and sustainable growth in line with RSS requirements. In order to achieve this, Opportunity Peterborough and its partners commissioned a significant city wide spatial Integrated Growth Study (IGS) to identify baselines in relation to a comprehensive set of sustainability indicators together with recommendations as to how the city could achieve truly sustainable growth. The IGS led to the commissioning of the Energy Study to ascertain the energy requirements of the growing city. A key element of this work is the identification of Peterborough Energy Action Zones (PEAZs) whereby low carbon and renewable energy solutions will be developed to meet the needs of specific zones together with energy efficiency measures. The Zones themselves will be prioritised to ensure that opportunities are maximised.
LESSONS LEARNT & APPLICABILITY IN OTHER SITUATIONS
One key lesson has been the robustness of the evidence base required to satisfy planning policy requirements. Though onerous in scale and complexity such evidence is essential if the Energy Study outputs are to inform the development of planning policies focused on sustainable growth.
The above data requirements have significant financial and temporal impacts on the project.
There is a need to engage key partners early in the process especially the energy transmission and distribution network operators (TNOs and DNOs)
There is no "one-size" fits all solution. Study outputs need to recognise that different localities and communities have different needs and energy solutions must be flexible enough to respond to such needs.
CONTACT DETAILS
Philip Harker, Director of Technical Ops and Sustainability, Opportunity Peterborough,
Tel: 01733 317491
E-mail: philip.harker@opportunitypeterborough.co.uk
