Twenty-eight per cent of local plans still neglect to deliver a strategic climate change policy, research has found.

According to a new report from the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) and the Town and Country Planning Association (TCPA), a ‘significant gap’ exists between councils’ climate ambitions and the required planning policies.

While acknowledging progress in policies that target overheating, whole-life carbon and water efficiency, the research argues that councils need to do more to combat climate change, which is ‘moving faster than planning policy’.

The report, titled ‘Local Plans and the Climate Crisis: The Gap Between Ambition and Action’, presents data analysis about local plans across England based on climate policy indicators, carried out by an AI-powered tool.

As part of its key findings, the report revealed that 53% of emerging local plans include policies that require overheating to be tackled by developers through the delivery of ventilation and cooling strategies. It also confirmed that only 7% of emerging plans contain carbon impact assessments of local plan proposals.  

It says that 93% of emerging local plans identify tackling climate change as a strategic objective, but argues that proposed changes to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) ‘seek to limit the ability of local authorities to go beyond nationally set standards’.

Celia Davis, Interim Director of Operations and Impact at the TCPA, said: ‘As we await the publication of the updated National Planning Policy Framework, there is a clear opportunity for the Government to put climate resilience at the heart of planning policy.

‘However, as consulted, the NPPF will act as a brake on local progress and risks undermining the many authorities that want to build sustainable homes designed to avoid overheating and reduce energy bills.’

A Government spokesperson said: ‘Our national building regulations and planning policy mean all newly built homes and their surroundings must minimise unwanted heat, regardless of local plans – the Future Homes Standard is designed to address energy efficiency.

‘We are reviewing the relevant building regulation to assess whether we can apply overheating rules to homes converted from commercial buildings.’