Teignbridge district council appointed the Centre for Sustainable Energy (CSE) to investigate the potential for renewable energy and sustainable construction in its varied and beautiful area of South Devon.

CSE’s aim was to provide Teignbridge with the information it needs to contribute fully to the UK’s carbon reduction targets.

The CSE team provided evidence on which the council could base the energy-related policies that would eventually go into its Local Plan – a planning policy document all local authorities are legally required to produce to meet national planning requirements. (In 2010, when this work was done, the Local Plan was known as a Local Development Framework, and included a supplement on Planning and Climate Change referred to as PPS1.)

The study involved assessing the district’s renewable energy strengths and weaknesses – its wind resource, biomass and solar potential – and matching this against existing and future energy demand. Advice was also provided on how the council’s own planning policies could encourage or enforce low-carbon developments.

CSE had previously undertaken similar studies for Bristol, Plymouth and five West Sussex councils.

Like these, the Teignbridge study benefited from the depth of geographical analysis and mapping capability that CSE brings and which goes beyond that of the standard desk-based study. In particular, CSE used our expertise in heatmapping (see THERMOS) to identify potential sites for district or community heating networks in Teignbridge.

Specialist input to the Teignbridge study was provided by Land Use Consultants.

Image: Derek Harper, reproduced under Creative Commons