This page brings together the evidence, collaboratively prepared by the Local Authorities in Greater Essex to support the development of common planning policies relating to energy use and generation, and carbon emissions from the construction and use of homes and buildings. 

The technical, financial and legal evidence provides the basis for a consistent policy approach in Essex; which provides clarity to local authorities preparing local plans and other documents, and certainty to industry on what is expected from development proposals for homes and buildings.  

Planning Policy Statements have been published covering the topics of:

•  Operational Energy and Carbon (Net Zero) in homes and buildings – available here
• Embodied Carbon and Circular Economy in homes and buildings – available here

The planning policies, once embedded in local authority local plans, will help support the delivery of healthy, efficient, climate resilient homes and buildings in Greater Essex. 

 The Evidence Documents are listed below. 

We will continue to build our evidence and guidance to help support and demonstrate the deliverability of the Energy and Carbon policies in Essex.Head to our policy implementation page and specifications guidance to find out more.

 To support the delivery of homes built to higher standards of energy efficiency than Building Regulations, Essex Planning Officers Association launched a campaign ‘Stamp it out!’ to push for the removal of Stamp Duty on these homes, with the aim of stimulating and accelerating delivery.  The campaign has been taken forward and is now superseded by campaigns being promoted nationally, for example, the ‘Warm Homes Stamp Duty Incentive’ led by the UK Green Buildings Council.

Evidence Documents List:

Legal Evidence

Addendum to Essex Open Advices (October 2025) – (Estelle Dehon KC, Cornerstone Barristers, 20^th October 2025)

Essex Open Legal Advice A (Updated May 2025) – Energy policy in plans and Building Regulations (Estelle Dehon KC, Cornerstone Barristers, 6^th May 2025)

Essex Open Legal Advice B – Energy policy prior to plan adoption (Estelle Dehon KC, Cornerstone Barristers, 31 December 2024)

Technical Evidence

‘Net Zero Carbon Viability and Toolkit Study’ (Report of Findings - August 2022)’ prepared by Three Dragons, Qoda and Ward Williams Associates. 

Essex Net Zero Policy Study (Reports 1 and 2) (Introba, Etude, Currie & Brown, July 2023)

Essex Energy Offsetting Tariff Report (Introba, Currie & Brown, September 2025)

‘Essex Embodied Carbon Policy Study’– technical evidence base (Levitt Bernstein, Etude, Introba, Hawkins/Brown, Currie & Brown, June 2024, reissued September 2025)

‘Essex Building (Net Zero) Specifications’– Specification Guidance (Introba, Currie & Brown, Etude, Levitt Bernstein, July 2024)