The role of the planning officer has never been so demanding. With the publication of Planning Policy Statement supplement (PPS 1A) as well as challenging regional policies such as the London Plan, planning officers are now expected to have knowledge of a wide range of sustainability issues and to engage competently with developers' consultants.

The integration of sustainable energy through the planning process will prove extremely effective in meeting the UK's carbon reduction targets and improving the living and working environments for residents in your borough. However, planning authorities across England are asking themselves the obvious questions:

• How can we resource this additional work?
• How can we develop internal expertise?
• Where can we go for support?
• How can we ensure that policy within Regional Spatial Strategies or local development documents is complied with?