The development of CHP is prioritised under planning policy when compared to power-only plants. There are a number of ways in which this is achieved, at national, regional and local level.
The draft Overarching Energy National Policy Statement (NPS) 9 includes provisions that will supersede the existing Section 36 power station consents process. It will include directions to the Infrastructure Planning Commission (IPC) on dealing with proposals for thermal combustion generating stations over 50MWe, including all power plants fuelled by gas, coal, biomass and waste. Due to legislative changes introduced under the Planning Act 2008 the IPC will take over responsibility for processing consent applications for onshore electricity generating stations generating more than 50 MWe from 1 March 2010. Developers will in future have to submit applications to the IPC under the Planning Act which replace the Section 36 provisions of the Electricity Act 1989.
The NPS gives direction to the IPC to appraise such proposals with favourable prejudice to CHP stations. Non-CHP proposals should meet strict criteria to show that CHP has been fully considered, with a view to prescribing such plants as CHP-ready if there is good reason to believe that customers with suitably-sized heat requirements will become available in the near future.
As part of the Section 36 process, the Government published revised guidance in 2006 setting out the required steps developers must take to demonstrate they have fully considered CHP.
The Planning Policy Statement: Planning and Climate Change (Supplement to Planning Policy Statement 1) instructs the Regional Development Agencies (RDAs) to ensure opportunities for renewable and low-carbon sources of energy supply and supporting infrastructure, including CHP, are maximised within their Regional Strategies.
At a local level, planning authorities are instructed to give positive consideration to the use of local development orders (LDO) to secure renewable and low-carbon energy supply systems such as CHP. They are also directed to set a target for the energy used in new developments to come from decentralised renewable or low-carbon sources where viable.
Planning authorities are also requested to consider the potential for existing decentralised energy systems to meet any new energy supply, including the co-location of heat customers with heat suppliers.
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9 https://www.energynpsconsultation.decc.gov.uk/home/