The Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced on 8 July that the Government will reform the National Planning Policy Framework before the end of the month to end the de facto ban on onshore wind in England.
The move fulfills an earlier promise to overturn the block on new projects within Labour’s first weeks in power. This had been a legacy of David Cameron’s government and its adjustment of the National Policy Planning Framework which meant that even a single objection was enough to stop a project from going through the planning stages.1
Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero Ed Milliband said on Twitter: “The onshore wind ban has been in place for nine years. We’ve been in government for 72 hours – we’ve lifted it. That’s the pace we’re going to move at.”
RenewableUK’s Chief Executive Dan McGrail said the move was “long overdue”, citing public support for onshore wind – “78% according to the latest official polling”.
“The onshore wind industry is committed to ensuring that communities are properly consulted about any proposals, including the wide range of economic benefits they will bring to local people. This process can take several years, including measures which help ensure that wildlife is protected, so it will be some time before brand new projects go ahead in England.”
Building wind farms is an undeniably resource-intensive undertaking, although industry initiatives to embed circular principles have been getting underway.
Dan McGrail’s statement also said: “Modern turbines are substantially more efficient and powerful than the turbines built in previous decades, so doubling the UK’s onshore wind capacity by 2030 won’t mean doubling the number of turbines in the UK. We can generate more power from fewer new turbines, and we can replace older turbines with far more powerful ones, making the most of our superb natural wind resources. Our research shows that delivering 30 gigawatts of onshore wind by the end of the decade would boost the economy by £45 billion and create 27,000 jobs”.
The Government also published a policy statement to accompany the onshore wind announcement.
Notes
[1] https://eandt.theiet.org/2024/07/09/labour-lifts-nine-year-ban-onshore-wind-farms
