From the Planning Research Conference

Energy was not a big theme at the Planning Research Conference recently held at University of Birmingham, but there were a couple of papers of interest. The EPSRC CALEBRE project was highlighted. This looks at retroffiting 'hard to treat' housing stock and one conclusion was strongly emphasised: the lack of skills in the UK SME sector. Loss of insulation at service entry points was often exacerbated by retrofitting and poor installation of energy saving equipment sometimes led to higher energy consumption. Their research showed that consumers are worried about poor workmanship and on this basis they are right! One way forward is for local authorities or NGOs to work on a neighbourhood or street basis and monitor work standards as part of their procurement role.
Another interesting paper came from Germany and looked at cooperatives. Apparently two new energy cooperatives were opening every month in Germany last year. These organisations have climate protection written into their founding charters and can be used for a variety of urban development projects. One advantage is that such cooperatives can access finance, both public and private. An example can be found at www.moeckernkiez.de.

Devolution to cities. Could this be the answer to urban energy decentralisation?

Today, it has been announced that England's biggest cities will be able to bid for powers from central government to boost economic growth, after a series of amendmends to the Localism Bill received cross-party support in the House of Lords. This would pave the way for cities to have greater control over policy areas such as economic growth, housing and planning and regeneration. Cities would also be free to pool resources across functioning economic areas. It seems that cities will be able to bid for freedom to set their own distinctive policies and when they will come up with innovative proposals for doing things differently, the central government will devolve the powers cities need to implement them. Could this be the answer to a more successful and extensive decentralisation of urban energy systems? And how about smaller-scale cities and towns?

Catalina Turcu, UCL
14 September 2011