Following government consultation in late 2025, the development industry now awaits the publication of updated national planning policy in England. For the energy sector and the consenting of energy infrastructure development, the updated policy is not expected to hold any great surprises. National planning policy already gives strong support to development of renewable energy installations, energy storage and associated infrastructure, and this is only set to be bolstered further as part of the UK’s wider energy transition objectives.

The government sees Local Plans as having a role to play in identifying land suitable for energy infrastructure. This is not mandatory, however, and it is difficult to see how, practically and meaningfully, broad areas of land can be identified in Local Plans as suitable for the mix of renewable energy generation types, as well as for energy storage, balancing and distribution.

It requires a much more granular approach which marries suitability with deliverability. Rather than searching for broad areas suitable for energy development, Local Plans could adopt a site specific, evidence-based, allocation process specifically for energy infrastructure. To make this process truly meaningful requires two key changes:

• A new early stage in the Local Plan preparation process, to invite the energy industry to put forward land and sites that it considers suitable: a ‘call for energy sites’ process. 
• An award of ‘permission in principle’ for energy development on land subsequently allocated for energy development in the Local Plan.

Crucially, this approach would shift the emphasis from identifying theoretically suitable broad areas of land to identifying suitable sites for deliverable energy development.

At present, grid connection processes favour schemes with full planning permission as a proxy for construction readiness. This incentivises, or rather pushes, developers to secure permissions earlier than they would like, when details of the scheme are still to be finalised. Grid connection dates are often beyond the standard three-year lifetime of a planning permission. A lot can change up until energisation of a project: the specification of apparatus, grid capacity, land availability, political make-up etc. This leads to a need to amend permissions or obtain new ones, creating additional cost, uncertainty and confusion.

An alternative approach to seeking a premature planning permission is to secure a land allocation, accompanied by a permission in principle, through a Local Plan process.  

Why might a flexible approach to allocations and consents work better?
In considering specific sites both for allocation in a Local Plan and an accompanying award of a permission in principle, the evidence of site suitability would be proportionate and based on development parameters, rather than a fixed and final scheme design and layout. This way, the final specification, technology types and generating/storage scale could all be fixed and agreed at a subsequent consenting stage closer to the date of energisation.

The principal environmental effects of the proposed development could still be assessed under a parameters-based approach and, at the same time, local communities could have their say.

Such a flexible approach reflects how projects are financed and delivered, and where certainty on principle is often needed before detailed investment decisions are made.

It would not remove the need for planning permissions, but it would give greater weight to, and added benefit of, Local Plan allocations for energy infrastructure. It would incentivise the energy industry to engage meaningfully in the Local Plan process.

How long a planning timeframe is required?
Local Plans are intended to endure for a decade or more and be reviewed periodically. Allocations of sites for energy development would, therefore, align with the time periods for grid connections running into the 2030s. The allocation, and accompanying permission in principle, would then safeguard the site from alternative uses or incompatible uses on neighbouring land over the lifetime of the allocation.

The National Energy System Operator (NESO) and the distribution network operators (DNOs) would be asked to view allocations and an accompanying permission in principle as having the same status as a full, detailed planning permission when considering and awarding connection dates.

DNOs could themselves choose to promote sites through this Local Plan process. If an allocation is then forthcoming, the connection agreement would run with the site allocation and be available for a developer to secure.

Overall, national planning policy is clearly supportive of energy infrastructure. The planning system’s contribution to delivering energy infrastructure could, however, be much greater with the introduction of a bespoke energy-specific Local Plan allocation process. One that the energy industry would see value in engaging with.

The views and opinions expressed in this article are strictly those of the author only and are not necessarily given or endorsed by or on behalf of the Energy Institute.

• Further reading: ‘A national LAEP forward – hastening ‘place-based’ decarbonisation efforts’. Think globally: act locally – the most effective way to decarbonise a town or community is to design a locally-appropriate strategy. This can be particularly the case for domestic heating. Andrew Clark, Business Leader – Place at UK Energy Systems Catapult, explains how ‘place-based’ local area energy planning is already happening. 
• ‘How local energy benefits local people’. Local energy projects deliver enormous benefits compared to commercial projects, writes Angela Terry MEI, environmental scientist and CEO of climate action charity One Home.