Urban Foresight was appointed by North Northamptonshire Council to develop a Local Area Energy Plan (LAEP), supporting the Council’s commitment to reach net zero borough-wide by 2050 as part of its North Northamptonshire to Net Zero programme.

The LAEP provides a spatial, evidence-led framework to guide investment, inform planning, and support delivery across housing, transport, industry and infrastructure.

The challenge

Local authorities increasingly need to make decisions that affect long-term infrastructure: where new development should go, how to support low-carbon heat, how to enable electric vehicles, and how to unlock grid capacity. Without a shared plan, delivery can become fragmented, slower and more costly.

North Northamptonshire is one of England’s fastest-growing areas. New housing, economic development and rising demand all increase pressure on the energy system at the same time as the area needs to cut greenhouse gas emissions sharply.

The Council recognised that transition is not only technical. It requires coordinated action across organisations and sectors, underpinned by robust evidence and a deliverable plan that reflects local constraints and opportunities.

Our approach

We applied a five-phase methodology that combined technical analysis with stakeholder engagement to produce a plan grounded in local priorities and deliverable actions.

Key elements included:

• Baseline assessment of local emissions, energy demand and infrastructure constraints
• Spatial energy modelling to understand where interventions are most effective
• Scenario and pathway development to test options and identify a preferred route to 2050
• Focus zones and opportunity mapping to prioritise place-based interventions
• A costed roadmap and action plan, supported by delivery models and outline business case thinking

The work was co-designed through a cross-sector Advisory Group, meeting regularly throughout development, to ensure the plan reflects delivery realities and is owned by partners.

Results and impact

The resulting LAEP sets out a long-term pathway and a near-term delivery plan that the Council can use as a decision-support tool, helping to align investment, secure funding and coordinate delivery across departments and partners.

The Council stated that “Urban Foresight have provided high quality, clear and practical support in developing our Local Area Energy Plan. Their team have carried out extensive modelling across buildings, transport and energy systems to help us understand the interventions and retrofit that is needed to meet our net zero ambitions by 2050.

“They have worked closely with the LAEP Advisory Group to shape realistic pathways, navigate key delivery challenges and build alignment across services.

We highly value the quality of their analysis and the clarity of their presentation style, which will strengthen our ability to plan for net zero with confidence.”

If you are developing a LAEP or wider net zero delivery programme, get in touch to discuss how we can support your place.