Local Authority Energy Statement for Planning

Walker Energy Analysis prepares energy statements for planning applications to local authorities across the UK, outside the specific requirements of the GLA. Every council sets its own energy and sustainability policy, and no two are quite the same, some set a percentage carbon reduction over Part L, others set a specific renewable energy contribution, others reference a different standard entirely. We start by establishing exactly what your council’s Local Plan actually requires, then build the assessment around it.

Our Process

Check the Local Plan policy: before any modelling starts, we review the relevant local authority’s adopted policy, since the metric your statement needs to demonstrate depends entirely on it. One council might require a straightforward percentage improvement over Part L, achieved however you like. Another might require a specific proportion of the development’s energy to come from on-site renewables. A third might set targets around a different framework altogether. Get this wrong at the outset and the whole statement is built against the wrong number.

Model renewables feasibility: regardless of the specific metric, we assess which renewable and low carbon technologies are genuinely viable for the site, solar PV, heat pumps, and similar, since most local policies expect this to be considered whether or not it’s the headline requirement.

Part L, SAP or SBEM assessment: the underlying compliance calculation, residential schemes assessed via SAP, non-domestic via SBEM or dynamic simulation for larger buildings, structured to demonstrate whatever reduction or contribution your specific council’s policy requires.

  • Local Plan policy review, to confirm the specific metric and format your council requires
  • Renewable and low carbon technology feasibility assessment for the site
  • SAP calculations for residential schemes, SBEM or dynamic simulation for non-domestic and larger buildings
  • A statement structured to your council’s specific requirements and validation checklist
  • Cross-referencing with any related BREEAM or Part L work already being carried out on the project

Why Local Policy Varies So Much

Outside London, there’s no single national framework equivalent to the GLA’s energy hierarchy. Each local authority sets its own policy through its Local Plan, and the metrics genuinely differ, not just the numbers, but what’s actually being measured. This matters because a statement written to satisfy one council’s requirements won’t necessarily satisfy another’s, even for an identical building. We treat the policy check as the first step on every project, not an assumption carried over from the last one.

Why Work With Us

We’re a specialist energy consultancy. This is the core of what we do, not a sideline. Every assessment runs through IES VE as standard, we turn changes around quickly, and results come back in a format your team and the local authority can use immediately.

FAQs

Q: Does every council require the same thing?
A: No. Requirements vary significantly, some set a percentage carbon reduction over Part L, others focus on a specific renewable energy contribution, and some reference different standards altogether. We confirm your specific council’s policy before any modelling starts.

Q: Do you always assess renewable technology feasibility, even if it’s not the headline requirement?
A: Yes, as standard, since most local policies expect this to be considered as part of a complete energy statement, even where the primary metric is something else.

Q: What’s the difference between this and a GLA energy statement?
A: GLA energy statements follow a specific, prescribed structure and energy hierarchy set out in the London Plan. Local authorities outside London each set their own separate policy, which can look quite different in both structure and target.

Q: Can this be coordinated with our BREEAM assessment or Part L compliance work?
A: Yes, the underlying Part L, SAP or SBEM modelling often overlaps, so where we’re already producing that for another purpose, we extend it to support the energy statement rather than starting again.

Get Your Energy Statement Right for Your Local Authority

Talk to Walker Energy Analysis early, and get your statement built against the metric your specific council actually requires.

Does your project need something else?