RIF: Jonathan Galton – How the RIF approach can help and how it links to planning policy

Jonathan Galton of Climate Consulting talked about how the RIF approach can help local authorities – and how it relates to planning policies.

He started by offering a few questions that might help local authorities decide whether the RIF approach would be of value. These included:-

• Where does your county/district position itself in terms of renewables?
• What planning you going to set?
• How will you respond to individual renewable applications?

• Numbers, not adjectives: in other words the need to put real numbers on to the kinds of discussions that are already happening on renewable energy.
• The practicalities – the drivers and incentives and the issue of financing.
• The people: for example community consultation and interest from the commercial and public sectors.

He then outlined some of the benefits to the RIF approach:-

• It provides an evidence base to inform and justify an authority’s position on renewable energy.
• Offers a clear context for planning policy
• And gives co-ordinated action for the community, public and private sectors – with an economic argument to underpin it.

RIF Climate Consulting – How the RIF approach can help and how it links to planning policy