Speeding up the adoption of low-carbon heating is essential to reducing carbon emissions from our homes and meeting urgent climate targets. Local authorities in the UK are already working towards ambitious carbon neutral goals, but often lack the clear guidance needed to navigate the complexities of local heat planning and delivery. Uncertainty on regulations and potential concerns over noise can lead to significant hurdles for homeowners and strain already busy council teams.

On Tuesday 24 March, 13:00–14:00 GMT, we will explore how local authorities can proactively support the transition to clean heat and provide a first look at our newly launched clean heat neighbourhoods playbook.

Developed in partnership with local authorities, the playbook is a practical guide to help local authorities take the next step in their local clean heat plans. This is the first iteration, and we welcome any feedback or suggestions for future content. The playbook is intended to be shaped by what local authorities want to know, offering practical guidance grounded in their needs.

Drawing on recent work where Nesta worked hand-in-hand with Plymouth City Council, this session will demonstrate how to test and apply a model for creating local clean heat plans through the playbook. Our panel of Andy Marsden, design lead at Nesta and Lucinda Brook, net zero strategy co-ordinator at Plymouth City Council, chaired by Andrew Sissons, director at Nesta will share a summary of recently updated planning rules and discuss practical ways to simplify the process and address common concerns.

The discussion will focus on the tangible benefits of coordinated switching, the importance of empowering local authorities with confidence, and how to use the playbook to take practical next steps in their clean heat plan.

This online webinar is for local authority planning, net-zero and energy teams, as well as policymakers, housing developers and those across the supply chain and skills sector.