The SPD could include:
More information on technologies and their relative suitability (e.g. through flowcharts outlining guidelines for site location of different technologies).
A list of useful contacts within the Council for advice and guidance in relation to sustainable buildings.
Structured step by step template sheet for developers to fill in and submit with their application, illustrating how the development meets the requirements set out in policy and the energy statement checklist.
Page 5 could mention the Nottingham Declaration, the Planning for a Sustainable Future White Paper and how the SPD compliments the Sustainable Communities Strategy.
Good Practice guide detailing local innovation
Sustainable Building Indicators to be monitored in the AMR.

The emphasis on solar heating and photo voltaics might be appropriate on the south coast but is over done for Warwickshire because there is reduced solar radiation due to our latitude and substantially more cloudy skys. It isnt true that photo voltaics are nearly as effective on a cloudy day as on a sunny day. Data shows (for herefordshire) that the total solar radiation on a cloudy day in winter is about one tenth of that on a sunny day in summer.

Supports the use of log burning stoves when the logs have been produced sustainably (e.g waste wood). This has a good chance of providing 10% of energy sustainably.


There is no mention of house ventilation. There is a limit to how well a house can be insulated because houses must be ventilated to control moisture levels and maintain a supply of fresh air. Using heat exchanged ventilation the heat from waste air leaving a building can be transferred to fresh air entering it so little or no additional energy is required to heat the incoming air to maintain room temperature. This can also be used when it is hotter outside than in to keep the inside cooler.

The requirement for a given percentage of sustainable energy is pointless and unhelpful. Reduction in fossil fuel usage is required and if this can be acheived by energy conservation techniques alone that should be good enough. Instead houses should only be able to consume a predetermined quantity of energy from fossil fuels each year.

A good addendum to the document but is not policy and will quickly outdate due to developments. This section should be relegated to an appendix. It is a criticism of this document as a whole that too much detail confuses the policy issues and should be attached as appendices as they confuse the policy.

Design for renewables should take into account the current research evidence on performance. Actual performance might be highly site specific . So the planners need to consider the evidence base for the predictions of renewables perofrmance put forward by the developer.