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UKERC_Place-Based-Approaches-paper_FINAL_020626.pdf

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Abstract:

Place-based approaches towards building and heat decarbonisation have emerged as a central feature of recent UK, Scottish and Welsh Government policy. The Warm Homes Plan emphasises that delivery of heat decarbonisation at scale will be place-based and locally led. In England, a new Warm Homes Agency is being developed to coordinate action and support local actors.

This scoping review helps to refine the understanding of this policy landscape through examining how place-based and related approaches to building and heat decarbonisation have been employed in both government policy and non-governmental organisation (NGO) literature in Great Britain from 2010 to 2026. 125 documents were analysed for their engagement with place-based design and delivery, including governance arrangements, funding mechanisms, and actor roles.

The review finds that place-based terminology - including 'area-based', 'neighbourhood', 'community-led' and 'local' - is used inconsistently and without an agreed definition across policy and practitioner documents. National policy has oscillated between centralised, spatially-agnostic delivery models and more devolved, place-sensitive approaches, with Scotland and Wales demonstrating greater continuity in area-based delivery. NGO literature offers more holistic conceptualisations of place, prioritising emphasis on lived experience, social justice and community empowerment.

The authors make several recommendations:

Adopt holistic approaches with greater precision in terminology
Government should establish mutually agreed, clearly defined terminology for place-based policy, ensuring shared understanding between actors and organisations across sectors and scales.

Clarify the roles and responsibilities of multi-scalar actors
Clearly define what is expected of residents, community groups, local authorities, and combined authorities in delivering place-based decarbonisation.

Build local capacity and embed advice within place-based delivery
Due to decades of austerity, local authorities may experience a 'local shock' if adequate funding and training are not provided. Community groups and charities also require meaningful support to participate as delivery partners - not simply as vehicles to ensure the success of centrally-designed programmes. One-stop shops can play a role in reaching the households most in need.

Ensure long-term funding stability for both fabric and technology interventions
The current emphasis on technology deployment (e.g., batteries, heat pumps, solar) risks leaving fabric performance deficits unaddressed, undermining potential benefits. Funding must be stable, long-term and sufficiently flexible, whilst also prioritising the most vulnerable households.

Initiate a 'state of data' and place-based skills review
Data quality needs to be significantly improved to support effective place-based targeting. There remains a significant deficit in social and place-based expertise within local delivery organisations

Publication Year:

2026

Publisher:

UKERC

DOI:

No DOI minted

Author(s):

Peacock, A. and Britton, J.

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