London Plan Energy Statement

The London Plan is the statutory spatial development strategy for Greater London, setting planning policies that apply across all 33 boroughs. For any significant development in the capital, the planning application must demonstrate how the scheme will reduce carbon emissions and energy demand – and this is delivered through a dedicated London Plan energy statement.

Unlike a standard energy statement, a London Plan energy statement must follow the Greater London Authority’s prescribed energy hierarchy and reference the specific carbon reduction targets set by your borough. Build Energy has prepared London Plan energy statements for residential, commercial and mixed-use schemes across every London borough, and we know exactly what each planning authority expects to see.

The London Plan Energy Hierarchy

The GLA requires all major developments to work through a four-step energy hierarchy, demonstrating at each stage how carbon emissions are being reduced:

• Baseline Emissions – establishing the current regulatory requirement under Part L of the Building Regulations
• Be Lean – a fabric-first approach to reducing carbon through enhanced insulation, improved airtightness and thermal bridging mitigation
• Be Clean – specifying efficient heating, cooling and lighting systems, and considering connection to decentralised energy networks
• Be Green – integrating renewable energy technologies such as solar PV or heat pumps to meet the borough’s renewable energy target (typically 10–40% of regulated energy demand)
• Be Seen – committing to post-completion monitoring and reporting of actual energy performance

For residential schemes our energy analysis is based on SAP calculations, while commercial developments use SBEM calculations or, for larger buildings, Dynamic Simulation Modelling (DSM).

Decentralised Energy and Heat Networks

London Plan policy places significant weight on connection to decentralised energy infrastructure – including district heat networks, combined heat and power (CHP) and community energy schemes. Where a heat network exists or is planned near your site, the London Plan may require your development to connect to it, or at minimum to be designed to enable future connection. Our energy statements assess local decentralised energy infrastructure and demonstrate how your scheme addresses these policies, giving your application the best possible chance of approval.

London Plan Cooling Hierarchy

Where mechanical cooling is proposed, the London Plan requires a cooling hierarchy assessment to demonstrate that passive cooling and natural ventilation have been fully explored before specifying active systems. We incorporate this assessment into our energy statements where relevant, and where overheating risk is a concern we can also carry out a full TM59 overheating assessment.

Why Choose Build Energy for Your London Plan Report?

We have prepared London Plan energy statements for schemes ranging from individual dwellings to large mixed-use regeneration projects. Our consultants are familiar with the energy policies of all 33 London boroughs and stay current with GLA guidance updates. We take a commercially pragmatic approach – meeting planning policy requirements without specifying unnecessarily costly technologies – and our reports are written to be understood by both planning officers and your design team. Where a sustainability statement is also required, we can produce both documents together to avoid duplication.

What is a London Plan energy statement?

A London Plan energy statement is a technical planning document required for major development applications in Greater London. It demonstrates compliance with GLA energy policies by working through the energy hierarchy: reducing demand through fabric efficiency (Be Lean), specifying efficient systems (Be Clean), integrating renewables (Be Green), and committing to post-completion monitoring (Be Seen). The statement must meet your specific borough’s carbon reduction targets, which typically range from 10% to 35% improvement beyond Building Regulations.

Does my London development need an energy statement?

An energy statement is required for most major planning applications in London – generally developments of 10 or more dwellings, or commercial schemes over 1,000m². Some boroughs require one for smaller schemes, particularly in areas with an adopted heat network or where the council has set additional local sustainability policies. We can quickly advise whether your proposal requires one and what level of detail your borough will expect.

What is the difference between a London Plan energy statement and a standard energy statement?

A standard energy statement demonstrates compliance with Part L and a local renewable energy target. A London Plan energy statement goes further – it must follow the GLA’s specific energy hierarchy, address the cooling hierarchy, consider decentralised energy network connections, and reference your borough’s adopted carbon reduction policies. London Plan requirements are generally more demanding than those of councils outside the capital, and the document format is more prescribed.

How long does a London Plan energy statement take to produce?

For most schemes we can produce a London Plan energy statement within 5–10 working days of receiving the information we need – drawings, site location and proposed specifications. Larger or more complex schemes involving heat networks or DSM modelling may take longer. We can also provide an early-stage indicative assessment at pre-planning to identify the most cost-effective route to meeting your borough’s targets before the design is finalised.