Roles and Responsibilities
Print this pageResponsibility for developing and implementing policy on renewable and low carbon energy in new developments is shared across several departments in a local authority area.
See making it happen and engaging people.
Implementing renewable and low carbon energy, and the broader energy and climate change agenda, is a cross-corporate issue which will involve most local authority departments. Aside from the teams with direct responsibility for policy or implementation across the local authority area, examples of departments with a role to play include:
- Those with responsibility for estate management, including social housing stock, schools or depots, with opportunities on their own sites
- Those providing education or advice within the community
Strong corporate leadership on renewable and low carbon energy is important to drive implementation and set a clear direction for local authority officers. This leadership should seek the support of Councillors and the local community. Effective collaboration across departments will help to ensure consistency of approach, make good use of the knowledge and experience of officers, and a build a broad base of support for implementing renewable and low carbon energy.
Kirklees Council has demonstrated its commitment by setting up the Renewable Energy Fund to pay for technologies installed by its own departments. It has also provided guidance and tools to support its own officers, developers and other third parties to develop renewable and low carbon energy projects. Building Control officers in Kirklees review some of the energy information supplied with planning applications (ie SAP and SBEM calculations), as they are already familiar with the data, which is also used to demonstrate compliance with Part L of the Building Regulations. Building Control also help with post-construction checks on technologies installed on site, as part of their usual site visits. www.kirklees.gov.uk/community/environment/renewable/
Others individuals and organisations within the local community will have an interest in the implementation of renewable and low carbon energy. Local Strategic Partnerships are the principal means for local authorities to work with their community to develop and deliver policy, including delivering the Local Area Agreement and developing the Sustainable Community Strategy. They are voluntary, non-statutory partnerships which bring together the following groups:
Environment Leeds has developed a climate change charter and pledge, 
while Craven’s Sustainable Community Strategy includes a commitment to increase energy produced from small-scale renewable sources by providing funding.
