Policy CC/RE: Renewable energy projects and infrastructure

1. The councils encourage proposals for renewable and low-carbon energy generation and associated infrastructure at all scales, including domestic schemes. Proposals for development that generate energy from renewable and low-carbon sources, including associated infrastructure, grid connections and storage, will be supported, provided that they do not cause unacceptable impacts, including cumulative and cross- boundary impacts, on: 

  a. landscape, tranquillity and sensitive views, with regard to the

The combined areas of Cambridge District and South Cambridgeshire District Councils.

Landscape Sensitivity Assessment. Part 2 – Renewable Energy

This refers to development in its widest sense, including buildings, and streets, spaces and places. It also refers to both redevelopment, including refurbishment, as well as new development.

(2021); 

  b. biodiversity and geodiversity, including irreplaceable habitats, protected habitats and species, and ecological networks; 

  c. water quality and flood risk; 

  d. the best and most versatile agricultural land; 

  e. the historic environment (including archaeological remains) and the setting of heritage assets; 

  f. the

A statutory designation made for the purposes of checking the unrestricted sprawl of large built-up areas, preventing neighbouring towns from merging into each other, assisting in safeguarding the countryside from encroachment, preserving the setting and special character of historic towns and assisting in urban regeneration by encouraging the recycling of derelict and other urban land. Specific Green Belt purposes have been set out for Cambridge.

; 

  g. aviation apparatus and air traffic safety; 

  h. highways safety, and the safety of active transport infrastructure and rail movements; and 

  i. residential amenity, including potential impacts caused by noise, vibration, dust, odour, air quality and shadow flicker. 

2. Proposals must seek to avoid, minimise and mitigate adverse impacts during construction and operation, wherever possible. Where any localised adverse impacts remain, these will be considered against the wider sustainability benefits of the proposal. 

3. Where energy generated is not used for on-site needs, provisions must be made for the development to be connected directly and efficiently to existing national energy infrastructure, community energy infrastructure, or uses associated with the renewable energy development. Proposals should demonstrate how options for energy storage, smart grids, and energy sharing networks have been explored to reduce the need for grid capacity upgrades. 

4. Proposals for renewable energy development must plan for the decommissioning of the site at the end of its life, including the removal of the technology and restoration of the site to its original or accepted use and condition, and that materials will be re-used and recycled where practical. 

5. Any ecological enhancements and biodiversity net gain that have been achieved on- site should be retained in the decommissioning process. 

6. Proposals involving the provision of solar PV panels and canopies on existing buildings or above car parks will be strongly supported where they do not conflict with other policies in the

This refers to development in its widest sense, including buildings, and streets, spaces and places. It also refers to both redevelopment, including refurbishment, as well as new development.

Plan. 

Community-led renewable and low-carbon initiatives 

7. Community-led renewable and/or low-carbon energy initiatives are encouraged and will be given positive weight in decision making. Evidence of community support should be demonstrated, alongside any additional social and community benefits. 

Connection to district heating 

8.

This refers to development in its widest sense, including buildings, and streets, spaces and places. It also refers to both redevelopment, including refurbishment, as well as new development.

proposals in the 2025 Heat Network Zoning Study boundary, as shown on the Policies Map, should connect to existing heat networks or networks under development within this area, unless evidence is provided that demonstrates a connection would impact on the technical feasibility or viability of a proposal. 

9. Subject to compliance with other policies in the

This refers to development in its widest sense, including buildings, and streets, spaces and places. It also refers to both redevelopment, including refurbishment, as well as new development.

Plan, proposals for new, low-carbon district heating infrastructure outside of the 2025 Heat Network Zoning Study boundary will be supported, particularly in heat network zones that have been designated once the Government’s heat network zoning policy is live. 

Increasing the use of renewable and other low-carbon energy technologies will be a key means of achieving the emissions reductions targets set by the Government and meeting increased energy demands. All proposals are required to satisfy a variety of criteria that will ensure that adverse impacts upon the environment and amenity of

The combined areas of Cambridge District and South Cambridgeshire District Councils.

are avoided or adequately mitigated. The Local Planning Authorities will be particularly supportive of community-led renewable and low-carbon energy initiatives where the wider social benefits are presented, such as reductions in local fuel poverty and increased local uptake of renewable energy. 

As part of the consideration of renewable energy development in plan-making, a strategic Landscape Sensitivity Assessment (LSA) was prepared to provide an initial indication of landscape sensitivity to the different scales of wind and solar development. The LSA’s landscape sensitivity layers will be available alongside the digital policies map for applicants to reference when preparing development proposals. Proposals will more likely be supported if they are situated in areas of lower sensitivity for the relevant development scale and mitigation is used to limit the potential landscape harm. The LSA should be used to guide developments away from the most sensitive landscapes. However, the LSA should not be interpreted as defining the suitability of individual sites for a particular development and. It does not replace the requirement for a more detailed

Process of assessing the landscape and visual effects of developments and their significance. Assessment should adhere to the Landscape Institute published 3rd edition of Guidelines for Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment (GLVIA3).

for any proposed development. Pockets of land within Landscape Character Areas (LCAs) may exist with higher or lower landscape sensitivity to a given renewable development scenario and will only be revealed through detailed LVIA work at the planning application stage. 

The Local Planning Authority will expect applicants to submit an Ecological Impact Assessment (EcIA) to satisfy the ecological requirements of this policy. The EcIA will need to be proportionate to the scale of development and potential impacts, but, amongst other requirements established within the

This refers to development in its widest sense, including buildings, and streets, spaces and places. It also refers to both redevelopment, including refurbishment, as well as new development.

Plan, they should include: 

• An assessment of the potential impact on all protected habitats, protected ecological sites, and any irreplaceable habitats; 
• An appraisal of potential impacts on migratory bird species, wintering bird species, and ground-nesting bird species; and 
• An appraisal of potential impacts on protected species, including commuting and foraging bats. 

Applicants intending to pursue wind energy schemes are advised to refer to the RSPB’s Onshore Wind Sensitivity Map and the Onshore Wind Opportunity Showing Sensitivity and Constraints Map when considering migratory bird species and bird migration pathways. Applicants are advised to consult the Government’s guidance on Construction Near Protected Areas of Wildlife to determine whether any additional assessment work will be needed to clarify the acceptability of any renewable energy proposals, particularly where sites fall within the Impact Risk Zones for Sites of Special Scientific Interest. 

The need for renewable energy generation will need to be finely balanced with the need for agricultural land in food production. Proposals should avoid the loss of the best and most versatile agricultural land (Grades 1, 2 and 3a), unless significant sustainability benefits are demonstrated to outweigh any such loss. Proposals that affect agricultural land are more likely to be supported where applicants demonstrate that agricultural uses can still operate around the proposed renewable energy development, or the proposal forms a diversification exercise that complements and will help to maintain the viability of the agricultural holding’s primary agricultural operations. 

Renewable energy infrastructure can also present risks to aviation safety and highways safety if they are poorly designed or sited. Tall structures, such as wind turbines, can present collision risks or create radar interference. Meanwhile, reflective surfaces, such as solar panels, can create glint and glare that can obscure the vision of drivers and pilots, which would need to be addressed by a Glint and Glare Assessment. Therefore, developers should engage with the relevant highways and air traffic authorities to determine site-specific safety considerations and whether any potential air traffic and highways safety concerns can be mitigated. 

In assessing renewable energy proposals, any heritage harm will be weighed against the public benefits of the proposal, giving great weight to the preservation and enhancement of any identified heritage assets. Proposals will be more likely to be supported where they minimise or avoid conflict with heritage assets in line with national planning policy and guidance. 

Proposals must not create significant adverse impacts on residential amenity. The details needed to demonstrate that residential amenity impacts can be appropriately mitigated will vary depending on the nature, scale and siting of the proposed development, but planning applications may need to include: 

• An Air Quality Assessment 
• A Glint and Glare Assessment 
• A Noise Impact Assessment 
• An Odour Impact Assessment 
• A Shadow Flicker Impact Assessment 

For projects that require an EIA, applicants are advised to engage in pre-application discussions with the Local Planning Authority to determine whether any assessment requirements can be included as and addressed by a chapter of the Environmental Statement, or whether standalone assessment reports would also be needed as part of a planning application. 

A 2025 Heat Network Zoning Study boundary, is shown on the Policies Map, continuing the approach of the 2018 Cambridge

A plan for the future development of a local area, drawn up by the local planning authority in consultation with the community. In law this is described as the development plan documents adopted under the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004. A local plan can consist of either strategic or non-strategic policies, or a combination of the two.

district heating zone. This is in recognition of work currently underway to establish a low-carbon heat network in the city centre, powered by heat pumps as well as ongoing work to consider wider heat network zones. New development proposals within this boundary, including redevelopment of existing buildings, should seek to connect to existing heat networks or networks under development. The Government are also bringing forward heat network zoning, which will look to designate geographic zones where heat networks are expected to provide the lowest cost solution to decarbonising heat. Through heat network zone regulation, certain types of building and low carbon heat sources would be required to connect to a network within a prescribed timeframe. Work is currently underway to determine what heat zoning may mean for Cambridge and in the future heat network zones will be designated in the city. 

• The combined areas of Cambridge District and South Cambridgeshire District Councils.

  A plan for the future development of a local area, drawn up by the local planning authority in consultation with the community. In law this is described as the development plan documents adopted under the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004. A local plan can consist of either strategic or non-strategic policies, or a combination of the two.

  : Climate Change Topic Paper (2025)

• The combined areas of Cambridge District and South Cambridgeshire District Councils.

  Landscape Sensitivity Assessment Part 2 - Renewabe Energy

  This refers to development in its widest sense, including buildings, and streets, spaces and places. It also refers to both redevelopment, including refurbishment, as well as new development.

  (2021)

• The combined areas of Cambridge District and South Cambridgeshire District Councils.

  Net Zero Carbon Study (2021)

We will consider all comments while developing the next version of the

A plan for the future development of a local area, drawn up by the local planning authority in consultation with the community. In law this is described as the development plan documents adopted under the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004. A local plan can consist of either strategic or non-strategic policies, or a combination of the two.

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All comments must be received by 30 January 2026 at 5pm.