This is a resource page containing advice and guidance for applicants and local authority officers on the implementation of the Greater Essex ‘model’ policies:

Policy GE1: Operational Energy and Carbon (Net Zero) in homes and buildings which is available here; and

Policy GE2: Embodied Carbon and Circular Economy in homes and buildings -available here.   

The guidance and supporting documents can be adapted to help implement the equivalent policies embedded in each local authority’s local plan.

This is a ‘pilot version’ of the resource page which will developed further and added to.    

Development proposals that must comply with Policy GE1: Operational Energy and Carbon (Net Zero) in homes and buildings will need to demonstrate policy compliance through the submission of an appropriate energy assessment.  For Major development this should be in the form of an Energy Strategy and for Minor development the applicable Essex Energy Reporting Spreadsheet (listed below) should be submitted.

The minimum information requirements to be included in an Energy Strategy are set out in Appendix A of Report 2 (July 2023 updated September 2025).  and signposts other supporting documents explaining where they should be used and how they fit into the process.  

Developments that obtain certification as any Passivhaus standard: Classic, Plus or Premium can be accepted as an alternative route to compliance with GE1 policy requirements 1 and 3.  Compliance with policy requirements 2, 4 and 5 (where applicable) would still need to be demonstrated.    

To ensure accurate energy information is provided within planning applications, predictive energy modelling software is expected to be used in the design of developments, which will evidence to local authorities that the energy performance of the design will be achieved in practice. Current examples of predictive energy modelling include Passivhaus Planning Package (PHPP) or following Chartered Institute of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE) Technical Memorandum 54 (TM54). either by quasi-steady state or dynamic state modelling. 

As an interim measure to support the transition of small / medium developers who may have not invested in predictive energy modelling software, the Essex Energy Tool (SAP Conversion) has been developed for use on housing proposals of under 100 dwellings.  This tool can take the outputs of the Building Regulations compliance software (known as SAP – Standard Assessment Procedure) and indicate whether compliance with the policy requirements for space heating demand, total energy use (energy use intensity) and Solar PV generation has been achieved.  The supporting Methodology Report is provided for transparency and information purposes; it includes a useful Executive Summary and sets out in detail how the tool works.  Applicants need only look at the Excel spreadsheet Tool itself if they wish as that contains guidance on how to use it too.  An example SAP calculation printout is provided for information, along with a version of the Tool that includes the worksheets that sit behind it.   

The Renewable Energy Offsetting Framework is a guidance document that supports the implementation of the Renewable Energy Offsetting Mechanism element of Requirement 4 of Policy GE1 (or equivalent in Essex Authorities’ Local Plans). The document sets out the process for calculating an Energy Offset Contribution where it is justifiably triggered and outlines how the contribution will be used to deliver the ‘missing’ renewable energy generation elsewhere.  For situations where the Essex Energy Tool (SAP Conversion) is being used then the tool outputs can help inform the calculation.

Minor Developments

For residential minor development proposals (under 10 dwellings), applicants can choose to follow the ‘minimum standards approach’ which sets out the fabric and systems specifications that the development must be designed and built to (see specifications listed in Table 2, Page 18 of the Planning Policy Statement for Operational Energy and Carbon (Net Zero) or Appendix C of Report 2: Essex Net Zero Policy Essex Net Zero Policy Study – Summary of policy, evidence and validation requirements, July 2023 updated September 2025).

By following this approach (i.e. without an energy model or use of the Essex Energy Tool), minor applications do not have to report the space heating demand, energy use intensity or offset contribution but they do need to re-confirm on completion the specifications that the development has been built to and the solar photovoltaic system installed.  They should complete and submit the Essex Energy Reporting Spreadsheet 1.

For residential minor development proposals (under 10 dwellings), which have chosen to use a predictive energy model or the Essex Energy Tool, then Essex Energy Reporting Spreadsheet 2 should be completed and submitted. 

Non-residential, minor development proposals (less than 1000m² of additional floorspace) only need to complete and submit the Essex Energy Reporting Spreadsheet 3 (currently under preparation).

Embodied Carbon and Circular Economy Implementation

Development proposals that must comply with Policy GE2: Embodied Carbon and Circular Economy in homes and buildings or equivalent will need to demonstrate policy compliance through the submission of appropriate information. 

For Major development this should be in the form of an Embodied Carbon Assessment following the RICS guidance for measuring upfront embodied carbon (or later nationally recognised methodology).  Minor developments should submit a simple Embodied Carbon Statement, which may follow the template available to download below (currently under preparation).

Guidance on the information requirements to be included in Embodied Carbon Assessment is provided in the Planning Policy Statement for Policy GE2: Embodied Carbon and Circular Economy in homes and buildings, and draws upon the Essex Embodied Carbon Policy Study (June 2024 updated September 2025). Section 7 of the Study sets out reporting requirements, information checklists and templates (which are extracts from the RICS guidance) which should be included.  Other parts of the Study provide guidance on the type of information to provide.