Planning and Energy Act 2008

The Planning and Energy Act 2008 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.

Legislative passage

The London Borough of Merton had introduced a rule where 10% of any new building's energy was required to be sourced from renewable sources and this had subsequently been adopted by more than 100 local authorities. This was known as the "Merton rule".
The legislation was passed as a private members' bill.

Provisions

The legislation expressly allows local authorities in England and Wales to require a proportion of the energy used in developments come from renewable and low-carbon sources, but local authorities must comply with national policies in doing this.

Reception

The legislation was criticised by the British Property Federation for potentially slowing down the fight against climate change.