Executive Summary
Pillar 8: Planning Policy presents a blueprint to develop a national plan to guide the strategic placement of biogas facilities and ensure a balance between supply and demand, sustainable resource use, and long-term operational success.
Planning plays a key role in pulling together several national priorities, including land use, environmental protection, economic development, waste management and energy generation. To support the biogas industry, governments must integrate considerations for the industry into all spatial and strategic policies so that the projects developed both fulfil national interests and meet local needs. The recommendations listed below are designed to support this outcome.
Conclusion
Governments across the world will be able to recognise the need for national and subnational planning, prioritise balancing the social, economic and environmental aspects of biogas plants, and emphasise the integration of biogas considerations into spatial and strategic policies through the recommendations outlined in this pillar.
PILLAR 8: Planning Policy
Introduction
Planning is about controlling different uses of land. These uses can include housing, commercial activities such as shops and offices, industrial uses and agriculture. In most urban environments, space is also required for educational institutions and administrative buildings to service the public, including libraries, leisure and recreation centres, parks and transport infrastructure. Land is also required for essential activities in modern settlements, such as energy generation and waste management, including wastewater management.
Some uses must be located close to good transport infrastructure like, for example, the highway network or good rail interchanges. Such uses include distribution and retail centres, and places of work. Other uses, such as heavy industry and waste management, are better located away from populations due to potential noise, odour, dust and light pollution. Activities such as agriculture are best located where the land is most fertile, while mining and quarrying can only be carried out where there are mineral deposits.
Some uses can compete with each other; therefore, a regulatory system is required that will enable land to be made available for necessary buildings and infrastructure without creating conflicts between those uses. It will also help resolve these conflicts and maintain healthy conditions for people and the wider environment.
When planning new biogas facilities or expanding existing ones, several factors must be considered. These include the proximity to feedstock sources, land availability for plant operations and storage of feedstock and digestate, grid connectivity, the distance between production and demand, available transport infrastructure, and environmental impacts. Each of these factors can directly affect the economic viability of the project. Community acceptance is also crucial for successful project development.
These elements must be integrated into a national plan to guide the strategic placement of biogas facilities and ensure a balance between supply and demand, sustainable resource use, and long-term operational success.
For the biogas industry, this regulatory framework would include the areas detailed in this Pillar.
8.1. Map waste generation and align with spatial planning
At national and regional levels, waste (organic, non-organic recyclable, and residual waste) being produced should be identified and spatially mapped, and the treatment capacity needed to manage it should be calculated. This calculation should be integrated into national and regional waste management strategies as well as planning policies.
For organic waste, this process will include the calculation of treatment capacity for separately collected food waste, domestic sewage, crop residues, manures, industrial waste and wastewater, and other feedstocks.
Mapping of the current and required treatment capacity will be needed so that organic waste is treated locally and the products used in the most economically or environmentally efficient manner. A good distribution of plants across a country or region would ensure that feedstock markets are not unnecessarily uneven, which would support a steady market with reasonable prices or gate fees. Without this type of planning, biogas plants can cluster in some areas, while other areas can be left with very few facilities. Competition for feedstock can become overheated in the former, cutting into project profit margins, while a dearth of facilities in the latter can leave municipalities and generators of food waste without adequate outlets for their material. An effective planning system can, therefore, benefit the industry, create profitable plants and avoid abortive expenditure on plants that turn out to be unviable.
Once information is available on how much of each type of waste is produced in a particular area, this information can be made available to different public agencies and utilities to integrate with wider waste management and energy and water infrastructure. This information should also be made available to biogas developers and other stakeholders to speed up planning and improve the feasibility of new biogas plants.
EXAMPLE
The US Environmental Protection Agency has calculated the potential for anaerobic digestion of swine and dairy manure in the top ten states based on the number of operations, herd size and feasibility based on current farming operations. The potential is mapped and presented by county. 1
The National Renewable Energy Laboratory in America has mapped landfills, animal manure, wastewater and organic waste based biomethane potentials by county. 2
Figure 1. Methane Generation Potential from Animal Manure
For European countries, biomethane potentials by country and feedstock (agricultural residues, animal manure, biowaste, industrial wastewater, permanent grassland, roadside verge grass, sequential cropping, and sewage sludge) have been calculated for 2030 and 2050. 3
The Biomethane Industrial Partnership (BIP) has created a methodology to identify sustainable feedstocks for biomethane production. 4
Extensive guidelines are available from the United Nations Environment Programme for the development of national waste management strategies. 5
In the UK, the Waste Local Plan for the county of Wiltshire includes a key diagram that shows the main environmental constraints of the area, such as the National Park and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (See Figure 2). It also shows the existing strategic and local waste sites and strategic employment sites that could accommodate new waste management facilities.
France created waste elimination plans for various municipal departments to plan the location of waste treatment centres. 6
Figure 2. Wiltshire Waste Core Strategy Key Diagram 7
8.2. Create land-use zones and plans
A zoning system must be used to allocate areas of land for different uses, such as heavy industrial, commercial, agricultural, residential, nature conservation and energy generation. This will ensure that these can be planned strategically and kept separate so that each has the right access and services as required. Zoning can also identify sensitive receptors in the region that must be protected, such as areas for nature conservation, surface-water bodies, areas with water stress, airports, aerodromes and heritage sites. Creating these zones can be the first step to ensuring that uses are clustered in areas where their effects are considered acceptable or distributed evenly to provide good infrastructure coverage.
These zones should be aligned with national policies, regional land-use plans, environmental permitting regulations and building permits.
Depending on the feedstocks that are processed, biogas plants may be built in agricultural, rural or industrial zones. It should be noted that there are no known specific identified zones for biogas plants.
EXAMPLES
The German Planning system implements a preparatory and legally binding land-use plan that considers facilities’ measures to counteract climate change, such as renewable energy. 8
In Columbus, Ohio, each parcel of land is zoned for a particular use, such as family housing, manufacturing, commercial or institutional. 9
A number of states in the US have taken the zoning approach to planning policy, including Pennsylvania, Tennessee, and Ohio. 10
The French Urban Planning Code takes a zoning approach to planning policy. 11
8.3. Spatially plan infrastructure grids and connections
The energy captured in biogas may be distributed and used off-site via the electricity grid, district heat network, gas grid or on-road truck networks. A good location for a biogas plant needs a connection to one or more of these networks or a local user of the outputs.
The development of infrastructure grids should go hand in hand with the development of grid connections for biogas plants and other decentralised low-carbon or renewable energy generation facilities, and vice versa.
From a developer and planning (a biogas project) perspective, the current capacity and future development plans of energy grids must be made available to biogas developers. Planning biogas plants so they are suitably located with respect to grid connections can significantly reduce the expense and time needed for development.
At the strategic planning level, the development of these grids should be spatially and volumetrically aligned with the biomethane potential of the region. This can facilitate the identification and development of biogas/biomethane ready areas.
EXAMPLES
Integration of biomethane into the gas grid has been recommended as a strategy by Gas for Climate 2050. 12
In France, The Open Data Réseaux Énergies (ODRÉ) platform provides stakeholders with multi-energy, multi-operator, and multi-network data in an open and real-time format to assist the industry and policymakers, including maps of biomethane injection points and maps of biomethane potential by canton by 2050 (see Figure 3).
The Biomethane Industrial Partnership recommends development of a zoning approach based on infrastructure grid and future energy needs 13
Figure 3. Sites in Operation 14
8.4. Ensure suitable and adequate allocation of land
A comprehensive town planning system is required to ensure that suitable land is available for uses that can only be sited in particular locations. The planning system should support the free market in delivering the right facilities at the right scale in the best locations.
Land must be allocated for different types of facilities that are required for a comprehensive, sustainable waste management system. The facilities that may be required are outlined in sections 8.4.1–8.4.5.
8.4.1. Biogas plant
Biogas plants should be located at a site that works for the operator as well as their neighbours and the wider economy. They must be sited in locations with sufficient vehicular access, and power and water supplies. Suitable feedstocks should be available within economical distances, and the market for those feedstocks and the outputs from the biogas operation – including but not limited to energy, digestate and bio-CO2 – should be steady and not suffering from extreme shortages or over-capacity.
Key requirements for a good location for a biogas plant are proximity to feedstock supply and off-takers for digestate. While these materials are of high environmental value, they typically have a low economic value, and therefore transport expenditure can quickly become a significant element of operational costs if material is sent or carried over large distances.
An AD plant typically requires a site with an area of at least two to four hectares and ideally has some additional land for feedstock storage. Such a site would typically be located in open countryside, on farmland in conjunction with farm buildings, or on an industrial site.
8.4.2. Waste collection infrastructure
Land-use planning policies are also needed to support infrastructure for the collection of waste from households and businesses, e.g. street width and layout in cities that influence collection choices, temporary waste storage options.
EXAMPLE
An example of good practice in planning waste management in new developments is the guide published by Bedfordshire and Luton councils in the UK. 15
8.4.3. Waste transfer stations
These are sites where material is taken for sorting and bulking up. They will consist of a yard where collections vehicles can off-load and return to their collection round. Material is then bulked up and sent for further sorting and processing.
These sites may be in urban areas and must be properly distributed to support the most efficient collection system as appropriate for the locality. However, due to access requirements and the potential for noise and odour emissions from waste-handling activities, such sites should usually be located within industrial parks that are suitable for heavy industry and do not create any adverse impacts on residential or commercial occupiers.
8.4.4. Landfill or energy-from-waste sites
Landfills and energy-from-waste sites must be designed and built to protect the environment. To ensure compliance with regulations, landfills must be located in suitable geological areas away from geological faults, wetlands, flood plains, animal habitats or other restricted areas. Plastics and residual non-organic waste in feedstock and digestate that cannot be recovered are better sent to a sanitary landfill or an energy-from-waste site than allowed to enter the environment. Landfill sites where this waste is sent should be properly engineered and lined so that leachate from the waste is captured and treated. Gas emissions should also be captured and used for heating or power, or flared to prevent contributing to climate change.
EXAMPLE
The solid waste landfill guidance provided by the Department of Environmental Quality of the State of Oregon, United States, provides a comprehensive guidance on location restrictions for new landfills or lateral expansions of existing landfills. 16 17
8.4.5. Refuelling stations
A fuelling station to supply fuel to waste collection or biogas distribution vehicles can form part of a biogas plant. If additional traffic movements are created from the customers of such a fuelling station, then the location must be suitably serviced to support this activity.
EXAMPLE
The German planning system implements a preparatory and legally binding land-use plan that considers facilities’ measures to counteract climate change. 18
8.5. Balancing national interest with local needs in decision-making
How decisions about a planning application are made vary from the very local to national scale, depending on the scale of the infrastructure being proposed. Some planning systems are very centralised, with decisions on what kind of development can take place being made by central government, within certain parametres. In others, planning decisions are devolved to individual localities, where the decisions on what sort of building is allowed in which locations are made by the local municipality.
Planning for infrastructure such as waste management and energy generation must be embedded in strategic plans at the national or regional level, with the most suitable project identified at the local level.
It is critical that national interests are balanced with local needs and constraints, and that this is reflected in the decision-making process and delegation of authority.
EXAMPLES
In Germany, new legislation has been brought forward that requires 2% of land area to be allocated to the development of onshore wind energy generation. The states must actively look for suitable land to designate to meet this requirement. 19
In France, the planning system is more centrally controlled but requires a robust environmental impact assessment for development. 20
8.6. Alignment with environmental permitting
Environmental permitting is a process designed to control the environmental impacts of an industrial process. Any potential emissions to air, water or soil must be assessed, and limits are set by public authorities. The emissions from a permitted plant must be measured and the relevant limits adhered to. An environmental permit must be obtained for a facility that receives waste before operations begin, and the assessment for the permit is made based on the technology to be used. Monitoring visits may be made when a facility is operational to ensure that the equipment is being correctly used.
Environmental permitting and land-use planning are separate processes, so both permission types will be required. It is, therefore, critical that these two permitting processes and their criteria are in alignment.
Further details on environmental considerations are discussed in Pillar 7: Environmental Permitting.
8.7. Integrating biogas facilities into an existing national planning policy framework
At the national or regional level, planning policy frameworks must be developed to govern spatial planning and land use. They should provide guidance on sustainable development, housing, infrastructure planning and environmental considerations – including the deployment of renewable energy and biogas plants.
Ideally, a national planning policy would contain guidance on the best types of locations for biogas plants, including mechanisms for assessing feedstocks and off-take opportunities including digestate and power connections.
However, a national planning policy that contains guidance on the delivery of energy and waste management infrastructure, specifically biogas plants, is not known to have been delivered anywhere.
Biogas plants are known for their efficient use of land, occupying relatively little space in terms of megawatts per hectare (MW/ha) when compared to other renewable energy sources, such as solar farms or wind turbine power plants. This compact footprint makes biogas an attractive option for energy production, particularly in areas where land availability might be a concern. Additionally, biogas plants not only generate renewable energy but also produce valuable by-products, such as high-quality biofertilisers, that contribute to agricultural productivity and soil health.
EXAMPLE
In the UK, a national planning document has been published called the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF). 21 However, the NPPF does not contain policies for the delivery of waste management infrastructure and must be read in conjunction with the National Planning Policy for Waste (NPPW), 22 which was published in 2014.
The Code de l’Urbanisme (Urban Planning Code) in France includes guidance on agrivoltaics installations but not biogas plants. 23
8.8. Evaluating planning applications
Evaluation of planning applications for a biogas plant should ensure that the minimum conditions outlined in sections 8.8.1–8.8.8 are met.
8.8.1. Safeguard sensitive receptors
Biogas plants must be carefully located and operated to realise their maximum environmental benefits and minimise unintended consequences. The planning process must ensure that environmental factors, such as distance from residential areas, sensitive receptors, surface water bodies and natural habitats, are considered and managed through environmental permitting. Further details on environmental considerations are discussed in Pillar 7: Environmental Permitting.
EXAMPLE
Under a Standard Rules Permit in England and Wales,24 a site must be a minimum distance from certain types of sensitive receptors. It cannot be within:
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200m of the nearest receptor as measured from any combustion stack or stacks, unless the stacks are at least 7m high and the effective stack height of each stack is greater than 3m.
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250m of the nearest sensitive receptor where any further treatment takes place by composting digestate fibre in the open.
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500m of a European site (within the meaning of Regulation 8 of the Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2017) or a Site of Special Scientific Interest, including candidate or proposed sites or a marine conservation zone.
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a groundwater source protection zone 1 or 2, or if a source protection zone has not been defined then within 50m of any well, spring or borehole used for the supply of water for human consumption (including private water supplies).
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250m of the presence of great crested newts, where it is linked to the breeding ponds of the newts by good habitat.
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10m of any watercourse.
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50m of a local nature reserve, local wildlife site, ancient woodland or scheduled monument.
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50 m of a site that has species or habitats of principle importance (as listed in Section 41 of the Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act 2006) that the Environment Agency considers at risk to this activity.
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a specified air quality management area.
8.8.2. Ensure good access and transport links
The availability of transport networks must be included in planning for different activities, depending on their need to move goods or people. Biogas plants may require transport of feedstocks, digestate and, possibly, biomethane in heavy vehicles to and from the premises. This means that adequate road access is needed to handle these vehicle movements safely.
Planning permission should require a planning or design and access statement, giving details of how the site will be serviced. In areas where the highway network is sensitive because it is close to areas with narrow roads, a routing plan may be required showing the permitted routes for heavy traffic servicing the application site.
EXAMPLE
An example of such a design and access statement for the Colwick AD facility in Nottingham and the Coleshill AD Facility in Warwickshire. 25 26
8.8.3. Consider the local history
A planning system should be accountable to local residents, who will have a good understanding of the issues affecting land, the historic constraints of a site, and how it relates to the wider region.
Local knowledge of the flooding history or archaeological attributes of a site should be considered when development proposals are agreed. Consultation with local communities and statutory authorities that can feed in this relevant information should be carried out before development proposals are confirmed and delivered, to bring forward the best quality development that does not harm the environment or suffer impacts such as flooding or landslides.
EXAMPLE
A flood risk assessment will often be needed, such as the one for AD development in Spalding, England, 27 and the risk of flooding around low-lying areas should be fully examined. 28
8.8.4. Proximity to residential and sensitive receptors
Biogas plants must also be sited in locations that are sufficiently distant from residential properties and other sensitive receptors, so as not to cause conflict during the operation of the facility. It must be recognised that biogas facilities can generate odours and particulates, even when they are well run, and, therefore, rural locations or sites on industrial estates are appropriate locations for these types of facilities.
Examples
AD plants in the UK that are located in industrial estates include the Biodynamic plant at the Colwick Industrial Estate in Nottingham, 29 and the Ellough AD plant in Beccles, Suffolk. 30 These plants are located on the edge of industrial estates that are not close to any residential properties or other sensitive receptors.
8.8.5. Minimise impacts on neighbours
Competing priorities can create tensions when some activities impact neighbours or the wider environment. Activities associated with operating a biogas plant can be noisy or emit dust or odours.
Organic feedstock and digestate can produce odours and particulates that can be unpleasant for neighbours, and the heavy machinery used for sorting or crushing waste can be noisy. Combined with the impact of delivery vehicles, the operation of a biogas plant often conflicts with residential or recreational uses.
Sites for biogas plants must be carefully identified and selected to prevent adverse impacts on other land users. Adequate measures should also be implemented to manage and control these impacts.
EXAMPLES
Regulatory requirements for odour management on on-farm AD in Ontario, Canada, and England and Wales are available, along with guidance on how to reduce risk, assess and monitor the impact of odour, and address the concerns of neighbours. 31 32
Best available techniques for prevention and control of odour and diffuse or fugitive emissions to air are available in Section 2.3.5 of the EU-BAT reference document for waste and for noise in Section 2.3.10. 33
An example of an odour management plan for an AD facility in Wiltshire, UK, is available for reference. 34
8.8.6. Incorporate local setting into design
Biogas plants are typically located in agricultural or industrial settings. High chimneys, stacks or tanks can, however, look unsightly and may not be appropriate for all locations. Sometimes these facilities can be carefully designed to give industrial buildings an appropriate visual appearance that fits in with the locality. This can be either a traditional appearance consistent with other buildings, or a modern and unique design that creates an interesting addition to the landscape.
Putting careful thought into the design of biogas facilities can result in a development that adds to the landscape and becomes an accepted part of the visual environment rather than an intrusion. The visual impact of buildings should be accounted for in planning permissions, especially when the local landscape is a sensitive one.
EXAMPLE
The planning application documents for an AD plant in Bandon, Ireland, includes an assessment of visual impact. 35
8.8.7. Incorporate biogas plants into local economy and community
Biogas plants should be embedded into the local economy. This includes sourcing feedstock from local businesses, farmers and councils, supplying digestate to local farms or residents, employing local companies and people in construction and operation of the plant, and sourcing building material and equipment locally, as far as possible. Biogas plants can also play a role in raising awareness in the community about food waste and the circular economy.
8.8.8. Vary reasonably for micro-scale biogas generation
The size of biogas digesters may vary from a micro-scale of few cubic metres to a mega-scale of 25MW of installed energy generation capacity. Different approaches are, therefore, needed for different scales of biogas development, and planning for these should be carried out at the appropriate scale. Some very small-scale household biogas plants are so small that their impact on the surrounding environment is minimal; therefore, planning permission may not be required.
These very small-scale household biogas plants may be considered permitted development; however, care must be taken that the storage of food waste does not bring a nuisance in the form of odours and vermin. Outlets for the disposal of liquid and solid digestate must also be identified, either nearby or transported by vehicles that do not have any significant impact on the environment.
Conditions on when planning permission are not required, such as size, treatment capacity, location, or feedstock, should be defined and published.
EXAMPLES
Examples of these domestic-scale biogas technologies are Home Biogas, 36 Waste Transformers, 37 and Qube Renewables’ BioQube. 38 These small-scale plants can be installed in residential settings or at commercial sites under Permitted Development Rights in the UK. 39
8.9. Consult and engage with local communities
Planning policy and permitting must be designed to find a balance between national interests and local needs and impacts. While strategic planning must be done at the national level, local concerns must be gathered through a consultation process. These should be addressed, as far as possible, through planning, design, technology and operational measures at the facility.
To gain public acceptance of a scheme, it is always recommended that detailed, honest and early consultation is carried out with the local community. Individuals who may be particularly affected by a scheme, from either visual intrusion, traffic movements or odours, should be approached early and sympathetically, and efforts made to address any genuine concerns they may have. Ensuring that members of the local community are aware and side with a project at the start can avoid difficulties at a later stage.
The advantages of a proposed facility for the local economy must also be discussed as part of the consultation process. These advantages include employment opportunities both at the plant and in supplying feedstock and managing off-takes, and the advantages of generating renewable energy and managing wastes sustainably.
Consultations should be conducted based on the following principles. 40
Integrity: The applicant and local authority must be willing to listen to the views put forward by the community and experts. They must be prepared to be influenced when making subsequent decisions.
- Visibility: All stakeholders must be made aware of the consultation and given sufficient time to respond.
- Accessibility: A wide variety of online (such as social media and websites) and offline (notices, newspapers, community groups and meetings) channels should be used. These must be appropriate for the intended audience and should cater for the special needs of “seldom heard” groups and others with special requirements.
- Transparency: In a public consultation, stakeholder invitation lists, consultee responses and consultation results must be published. This should, however, be done with the consent of the respondents. Similarly, the decision-making process and decisions that follow the consultation should be openly communicated.
- Disclosure Obligations: For consultation to succeed, and to encourage a measure of trust between the developer and local community, it is important to provide for the reasonable disclosure of relevant information.
- Fair Interpretation: Information and viewpoints gathered through consultation should be analysed and interpreted promptly and objectively, preferably by a third party not involved in the decision-making process.
- Publication: Both the output and outcome of the consultation should be shared with stakeholders.
EXAMPLE
Best practice guides on public consultations are available from the Planning Officers Society and the UK government 41 42
8.10 Collect and use data in waste planning
To deliver an optimal network of waste management infrastructure, it is important to understand what waste requires treatment. Data is required for both quantities and types of materials that are being discarded. Different types of waste materials must be managed with appropriate facilities, and so composition analysis is required to provide information on the type of material being discarded.
Organic materials typically make up approximately 50% of food and green waste, and this material is best managed using AD. 43 It is essential to understand how much suitable organic feedstock is arising and therefore available for treatment using this technology.
Reliable systems for measuring waste quantities must be set up using weighbridges at waste management centres. The data from each centre must then be collected and collated in a transparent manner. Data can then be manipulated to understand how much waste and of what type comes from different of residential or commercial areas and where it is taken for treatment.
Ideally, refuse collection vehicles should have weighing systems on board so that the amount collected from each collection round, and ideally each bin lift, can be recorded. The data obtained from vehicle weighing systems can be used to identify participation rates in schemes such as food waste collection. Waste composition studies will provide crucial information on how much of what materials are arising in an area.
The map of feedstock arisings from food waste would closely relate to the major centres of population and so sites could be identified on the edge of conurbations.
EXAMPLE
Zero Waste Scotland compiled estimates from physical analysis of the composition of household waste collected in 2021–23. 44
8.11. Understand national/regional waste mass balance
At a national and regional level, it is important to understand the journey of materials from production or import and use to disposal or recovery. This will be delivered in real time throughout the economy and is intended to help businesses and government move towards a circular economy by better understanding the amount and type of waste being produced and where it ends up.
This can further support the effective regulation of waste so enforcement can be carried out more swiftly and effectively. Illegal activity, such as the misclassification of waste, fly-tipping, operation of illegal waste sites and the illegal export of waste, will be easier to identify and tackle when adequate data on material flow become available.
EXAMPLE
The UK government is developing a digital waste tracking system to be introduced from April 2025. 45
8.12 Looking forward
Planning plays a key role in pulling together several national priorities, including land use, environmental protection, economic development, waste management and energy generation. To support the biogas industry, governments must integrate it into all spatial and strategic policies so that the projects developed both fulfil national interests and meet local needs.
FOOTNOTES
- “Market Opportunities for Biogas Recovery Systems at U.S. Livestock Facilities”, US EPA. https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2018-06/documents/epa430r18006agstarmarketreport2018.pdf.
- Biomass Resource Data, Tools, and Maps, Geospatial Data Science, NREL. https://www.nrel.gov/gis/biomass.html.
- Biomethane Production Potentials in the EU, Guidehouse. https://www.europeanbiogas.eu/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/GfC_Biomethane-potentials_2022.pdf
- Methodology to identify sustainable biomethane feedstocks. https://bip-europe.eu/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/BIP-Task-Force-3.4_Methodology-Identification-Sustainable-Feedstocks_Oct2024.pdf
- Guidelines for National Waste Management Strategies, UNEP. https://wedocs.unep.org/bitstream/handle/20.500.11822/8669/-Guidelines%20for%20national%20waste%20management%20strategies_%20moving%20from%20challenges%20to%20opportunities-2013UNEP%20NWMS%20English.pdf
- “Le plan régional de prévention et gestions des déchets (PRPGD)” La Région Grand Est, France. https://www.grandest.fr/developper-economie-vertueuse/que-faire-dechets/le-plan-regional-de-prevention-et-gestions-des-dechets-prpgd/
- Waste Core Strategy Key Diagram, Wiltshire County Council, UK. https://www.wiltshire.gov.uk/media/8549/waste-core-strategy-july-2009-key-diagram/pdf/waste-core-strategy-key-diagram.pdf?m=1644847700407
- “Preparatory Land-Use Plan”, Academy for Territorial Development in the Leibniz Association, Germany. https://www.arl-international.com/sites/default/files/dictionary/2021-09/preparatory_land-use_plan.pdf
- The zoning map can be found at https://gis.columbus.gov/zoning/.
- Siting of Large-Scale Renewable Energy Projects, US Department of Energy. https://www.energy.gov/eere/siting-large-scale-renewable-energy-projects.
- Urban Planning Code, French Government, https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/codes/texte_lc/LEGITEXT000006074075/2023-09-30.
- Network and Land-Use Planning, GRTgaz. https://www.grtgaz.com/en/our-actions/network-land-use-planning.
- “Manual for National Biomethane Strategies”, Gas for Climate. https://www.europeanbiogas.eu/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/2022-Manual-for-National-Biomethane-Strategies_Gas-for-Climate.pdf.
- The Network at the Heart of Energy Data [Le réseau au coeur des données d’énergie]. https://opendata.reseaux-energies.fr/
- “Managing Waste in New Developments”, Luton Borough Council & Bedfordshire County Council. https://www.centralbedfordshire.gov.uk/migrated_images/managing-waste_tcm3-2196.pdf
- Solid Waste Disposal Sites and Landfills Permit Applications. https://www.oregon.gov/deq/mm/swpermits/Pages/Solid-Waste-Disposal-Sites-and-Landfill.aspx
- Solid Waste Disposal Sites and Landfills Permit Applications – Section 1: Location Restrictions. https://www.oregon.gov/deq/FilterDocs/SWGuidance01.pdf
- “Preparatory Land-Use Plan”, Academy for Territorial Development in the Leibniz Association, Germany. https://www.arl-international.com/sites/default/files/dictionary/2021-09/preparatory_land-use_plan.pdf.
- New Law Reserves 2% of German Land Area for Onshore Wind by 2032, Euractiv. https://www.euractiv.com/section/electricity/news/new-law-reserves-2-of-german-land-area-for-onshore-wind-by-2032/.
- Urban Planning Code, French Government, https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/codes/texte_lc/LEGITEXT000006074075/2023-09-30.
- “National Planning Policy Framework”, Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government, UK. https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/669a25e9a3c2a28abb50d2b4/NPPF_December_2023.pdf.
- “National Planning Policy for Waste”, Department for Communities and Local Government. https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5a7ef594e5274a2e8ab4946c/141015_National_Planning_Policy_for_Waste.pdf.
- Urban Planning Code, French Government. https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/codes/texte_lc/LEGITEXT000006074075/2023-09-30.
- SR2021 No 7: Anaerobic Digestion Facility, Including Use of the Resultant Biogas – Waste Recovery Operation, Environment Agency, UK. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/sr2021-no-7-anaerobic-digestion-facility-including-use-of-the-resultant-biogas-waste-recovery-operation/sr2021-no-7-anaerobic-digestion-facility-including-use-of-the-resultant-biogas-waste-recovery-operation#:~:text=250%20metres%20of%20the%20nearest,digestate%20fibre%20in%20the%20open.
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