Haringey: Planning for Climate Change

Haringey has been removing long-standing barriers to reducing carbon through strategic spatial planning. This will include changes to building components, as well as a change in approach within the council to deliver innovative solutions for lowering carbon emissions.

Spatial planning is about creating strong, safe and prosperous communities. Apart from shaping future trends, spatial planning policies are also important for decisions on other borough-wide projects tackling climate change, with cross-service working vital to success.

Haringey has been developing a new spatial plan that will guide development and growth in the borough over the next 15 years. The lifetime of this spatial plan coincides with the national target to ensure all new homes are carbon neutral by 2016 and new non-domestic buildings should be zero carbon by 2019. This has motivated Haringey to examine all possibilities for delivering low carbon energy schemes.

Initial research identified carbon reduction scenarios, including the setting up of decentralised energy networks, as key areas of focus for Haringey. Clear opportunities for decentralised energy networks existed in areas such as Haringey Heartlands and Tottenham Hale. The study also highlighted the importance of working with neighbouring boroughs, while further research looked at the potential for low carbon energy infrastructure.  This identified seven 'model' potential housing and mixed development sites for low carbon energy infrastructure. 

Collaborative approach

The work complements Haringey's 'greenest borough strategy' which sets out targets to reduce CO₂ emissions by 40 per cent by 2020.

The borough is working with partners to deliver one of the Mayor's Low Carbon Zones (LCZ) in Haringey's Muswell Hill area. Muswell Hill is mostly a conservation area and this project requires significant input from the planning department. The LCZ will cover around 1,000 homes, local businesses, community buildings and schools. A range of measures such as home energy assessments and energy efficiency measures will be carried out, including opportunities for financing installation of large solar PV arrays at local schools and retailers.  The overall aim is to reduce CO₂ by more than 20 per cent by 2012 and 60 per cent by 2025

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