Local energy requirements for buildings to stay in place

The government is to continue to allow local authorities to employ supplementary planning notices to encourage the use of renewable technology on new developments.

Members of the housebuilding industry had hoped the Merton Rule would be scrapped, claiming that green measures prescribed by local authorities were unhelpful to the wider target of achieving zero-carbon homes by 2016.

But at a meeting organised by the UK Green Building Council (UKGBC) 'Beyond Merton: local planning for carbon cutting' a representative from the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) confirmed that housing minister Yvette Cooper was determined to keep the policy.

The representative said: "Yvette Cooper has said she will keep the Merton Rule and wants to develop it further with the intention of delivering further carbon savings."

While the Merton Rule allows local authorities to require a building to generate 10% to 20% of its energy through on-site renewable technology, the proposed 'Merton Plus' would also permit the use of off-site energy generation.

A consequence of the move would be to persuade developers and utility companies to work together to develop renewable energy solutions.

Paul King, chief executive of the UKGBC, called for the bar to be raised and that a 30% cut in emissions should be required of new deve-lopments.

He added: "We need to strike a balance between national standards and local innovation. This will enable developers to learn from each other and go further faster to achieve these difficult targets [the Code for Sustainable Homes]."

Adrian Hewitt, climate change team leader at Merton Borough Council, said: "If every borough employed the Merton Rule it would create a renewable industry worth over £1bn. This would create both a secure environment for research and development as well as economies of scale."