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Climate Change and the Role of Spatial Planning in England

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Climate Change Governance

Part of the book series: Climate Change Management ((CCM))

Abstract

The evidence gathered from academic literature and policy sources leave little doubt that the planning system has a major part to play in climate change policy agenda. However, the extent to which spatial planning in England has leverage in tackling climate change depends largely on how broadly it is defined and what level and types of interventions, tools and resources are available to it. Adopting a broader definition of spatial planning, its place-shaping role can be practised in three interrelated ways: proactive interventions in the way places are developed; regulatory interventions in how others undertake their own activities; and strategic coordination, which enables participation and policy integration. Over the past decade, national policy expectations from planning to respond to climate change have grown considerably, and the role of planning has been elevated from promoting climate protection to ensuring policy delivery. However, less attention has been paid to how its role can be framed. The bewildering array of tasks allocated to planning in both policy documents and academic literature can take away the urgency of the response and the need to focus on critical climate policies in which planning can be most effective. Hence, by classifying climate policies into the three key areas of energy supply, energy demand and adaptation, this chapter aims to identify policy areas that are most relevant to planning intervention for each category. Based on this approach, the chapter provides a conceptual framework by mapping the three policy areas against the three types of planning interventions mentioned above.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    It should be noted that in 2011 the UK Coalition government reformed the planning system through the Localism Act, 2011. This reduced the strategic capacity of spatial planning in line with the abolition of the regional tier of planning and all key performance targets which local authorities had to produce with regard to a number of national policy priorities including climate change adaptation.

  2. 2.

    This includes renewable electricity generating plants of over 50 MW onshore and 100 MW offshore in England and the adjacent offshore Renewable Energy Zone (HM Government 2009b: 73).

  3. 3.

    This is the title of Chap.4 of the Strategy, which deals with planning issues on p. 70.

  4. 4.

    This was devised by planners in the London Borough of Merton as a form of planning condition for new developments of over 1,000 m2.

  5. 5.

    www.themertonrule.org.uk.

  6. 6.

    A new version with more stringent energy efficiency measures in Part L took effect in 2006. These increase the efficiency standards by 40 % over 2002 levels.

  7. 7.

    A government-endorsed rating system for new housing with the sixth star of rating awarded to zero-carbon development (DCLG 2006).

  8. 8.

    For pros and cons of new settlement versus other forms of accommodating growth (such as urban infill and urban extension), see Green and Handley (2009).

  9. 9.

    Almost two-thirds of cavity walls are filled in the UK and only 35 % of lofts are insulated to at least 150 mm, with the figures in private rented sector as low as 21 % (HM Government 2009b: 83).

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Acknowledgments

A longer version of this chapter was published as a Global Urban Research Unit’s Electronic Working Paper Number 43 (EWP43) in 2009 and is available on: http://www.ncl.ac.uk/guru/publications/working/documents/EWP43.pdf. The research undertaken for this chapter was commissioned by the Department of Communities and Local Government (DCLG) in August 2009. However, the views expressed in this chapter are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the DCLG’s views or policies.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Architecture, Planning and Landscape, Newcastle University, Claremont Tower, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 7RU, UK

    Simin Davoudi

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  1. Simin Davoudi
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Correspondence to Simin Davoudi .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. HafenCity Universiät Hamburg, Winterhuder Weg 29, Hamburg, 22085, Germany

    Jörg Knieling

  2. Wissenschaften Hamburg, Forschungs- und Transferzentrum,, Hochschule für Angewandte, Lohbruegger Kirchstr. 65, Hamburg, 21033, Germany

    Walter Leal Filho

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Davoudi, S. (2013). Climate Change and the Role of Spatial Planning in England. In: Knieling, J., Leal Filho, W. (eds) Climate Change Governance. Climate Change Management. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-29831-8_10

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-29831-8_10

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