Stafford Road Corridor Area Action Plan

Policy Area 8Providing Local Renewable andLow Carbon Energy InfrastructurePolicy AimEnsure the AAP provides clear guidance to deliverrenewable and low carbon energy infrastructure in thearea to support regeneration and address ClimateChange.Need for the policyCore Strategy RequirementsPolicies in the Core Strategy provide the strategicapproach to Climate Change issues in the BlackCountry. This includes a requirement for the AAP toadopt a strong approach to renewable energy, as setout in Policy ENV7. Wolverhampton Council hasadopted an approach towards the 10% requirement setout in Policy ENV7 which includes low carbon forms ofenergy generation.Issues Paper commentsThere was general recognition that the AAP needs toaddress Climate Change issues, and could play a positiverole in, for example, facilitating the provision of districtheating schemes as part of development proposals. Atthe same time there was a need identified for flexibility inthe policy, if targets are set, to take account of thefinancial viability of development proposals.Need for the policyEvidenceA Renewable and Carbon Reduction Energy CapacityStudy has been completed, which estimates thepotential for renewable and low carbon energyproduction in the City and in each AAP area. In doing soit identifies which technologies would be particularlysuited to certain sites or areas, including any potentialfor district heating systems in larger development areas.As part of this Study a number of opportunities havealready been identified for detailed assessment. Keyopportunities within this AAP could include:■The potential for community-wide energy■■infrastructure (e.g. a combined heat and power (CHP)network) alongside wider growth and developmentplanned in the area, particularly in the Junction 2Character Area (see Part 3) as there is developerinterest in bringing forward a Renewable EnergyGenerating Plant in this location.Connection to a City Centre district heating network ifsuch a network is established, particularly for existingand proposed development in the south of the AAParea (Wolverhampton Science Park and Dunstall &Wulfrun Trading Estates and Fowlers Playing Fields,Park Village and Fallings Park Character Areas).Making use of existing and underused employmentland both for the supply of resources for energygeneration (biomass and waste) and for on-sitegeneration (e.g. solar PV and biomass/waste toenergy plants).■ Micro-generation on existing and new buildings in thearea, particularly solar PV and solar thermal.The Study highlights the wider benefits that renewableand low carbon energy can have within the AAP andWolverhampton as a whole, which developers,communities and businesses should consider, including:■■■■■Economic benefits in terms of jobs, skills andinvestment in developing a low carbon economy;Helping to reduce fuel energy bills and respond tofuel poverty;Raising Wolverhampton’s profile as a centre forsustainable living in response to climate change;Contributing towards Wolverhampton’senergy security;Providing a fixed return on an investment, throughsupplying energy to local consumers, to the gridand via Government incentives (e.g. the Feed-in-Tariff,Renewables Obligation and Renewable HeatIncentive).Options and Preferred Policy ApproachGiven the strength of policies in the Core Strategy onrenewable and low carbon energy, likely changes toBuilding Regulations over the Plan period, and thesignificant viability issues highlighted in the evidencebase, we feel that there is no scope to introduceadditional local targets on renewable and low carbonenergy which potentially could add to developmentcosts.However, we feel there is scope for the AAP to addfurther guidance on local implementation of PolicyENV7, highlighting specific potential for renewable andlow carbon energy technologies, including districtheating networks. The guidance would be predominantlybased on interventions identified in the Renewable andCarbon Reduction Energy Capacity Study. There is alsoscope for the AAP to adopt a positive approach toOptions Report for the Development of the Stafford Road Corridor35