Local councils need to put their money where their mouth is by buying locally generated power if they are to reduce emissions from buildings in their areas, according to planners.

Guidance from the Town and Country Planning Association (TCPA), published this week, says councils must take the lead to create a market for neighbourhood power generation.

Keith Hill, MP, former housing minister and TCPA adviser, said: “Local authorities are significant purchasers of power, and they can act as a catalyst for the development of neighbourhood CHP systems.”