Renewable Energy: Local Government
Energy and Climate Change
Written answers and statements, 2 November 2009
Danny Alexander (Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch & Strathspey, Liberal Democrat)
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change whether his Department is monitoring the adherence of local authorities to their obligation to promote and encourage the development of renewable energy resources in their local development policy.
Ian Austin (Minister of State (the West Midlands), Regional Affairs; Dudley North, Labour)
Local planning authorities in England are required to make an annual report to the Secretary of State on the extent to which the policies set out in local development documents are being achieved. In addition my Department published research on our website in July 2009 which looked at the ambition of targets for renewable energy set in regional spatial strategies and their implementation. We are also currently undertaking research into the take up of and application of the policies in the Planning Policy Statement on Planning and Climate Change. Planning elsewhere in the UK is a matter for the devolved administrations.