The upcoming planning bill, due to be published in the coming months, had been somewhat coolly received by the heritage sector. The white paper announcing the policies gave little concrete support for owners, and the Club as well as others, had felt that there would be little real change.

However, we have started to hear some more reassuring noises from DCMS, and an explanation for the dearth of detail in the white paper. During recent talks with DCMS, their officials indicated that significant aims the Club has been championing, such as stronger emphasis on energy efficiency in planning and consent decisions, are intended to be included in the bill. However, these policies were not fully developed as the white paper was being written, and so were lacking detail.

Officials were not able to offer any further insight into what form these policies might eventually take once the bill is published, but the Club are encouraged to hear that DCMS and MHCLG are intending to legislate and offer some genuine improvements for owners who want to make their listed home more energy efficient.