Executive Summary

A robust planning regime is vital to ensure that the national, regional and local economic benefits; environmental and social objectives; and the interests of individuals, communities and society as a whole are all taken properly into account in reaching decisions about new developments. We are firmly committed to maintaining the democratic, participatory values of our planning system.

We know there are potential tensions between local concerns and wider national policy and needs. Renewable developers often complain that the balance between them is not always struck correctly; that the planning system takes too long, costs too much and, in some cases, does not consistently reflect national policy.  This can block new generation and the extensions to the electricity grid which are necessary for it to become operational, adding delaying and cost to investment.

We are already seeking powers to address some of these concerns through the Planning Bill and the Marine Bill, notably by ensuring that all onshore wind developments above 50 MW and offshore wind developments above 100 MW in England and Wales are considered by a new Infrastructure Planning Commission (IPC) on tight timeframes and on the basis of a new National Policy Statement for renewables.

To achieve the 15% target all parts of the UK, in particular the Devolved Administrations, English Regions, Local Authorities and local communities will have to play their part in contributing to the achievement of the target. We would like to hear your views on a range of potential additional measures to support onshore renewable developments within the context of the reformed planning regime. These could include:

• development of a suite of stronger National Policy Statements for renewables and electricity networks that would set a clear, comprehensive, national policy framework for local planning authorities;
• helping the planning system to deliver, by agreeing a clear deployment strategy at regional level similar to the approach established by housing;
• the creation of an expert body to provide specialist advice on renewable energy to local planners and developers;further extension of Permitted Development Rights for domestic microgeneration to include wind turbines and air-source heat pumps, extension to smaller-scale non domestic renewables and using Local Development Orders to speed up the re-powering of existing wind turbines.

We also need to create the conditions in which communities are able to see local benefits in renewables developments. Sometimes it is only the disadvantages they see. We would also like to hear your views on how this could be achieved. Measures could include:

• establishing a single benchmark for the local community benefits that renewable developers are expected to provide and producing best practice guidance;
• considering the particular needs and circumstances of the renewables sector in developing the detailed design of the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL), which secures contributions from developers towards funding for local infrastructure; and
• providing mechanisms that will enable communities to benefit financially from the development of community energy assets.

A significant number of planning applications for new renewable developments, notably wind farms, are blocked as a result of conflict with other Government policies.  This reflects legitimate policy concerns – notably to avoid degradation of radar that could adverse effects on national security; to protect the local environment; and to secure adequate space for sea transport.  We would like to hear your views on how to resolve such policy conflicts, potentially through:

• implementation of the new Memorandum of Understanding between the Government and the wind industry and the development of an aviation action plan to identify workable solutions to mitigate the impact of wind turbines on radar systems;
• extending the Vessel Traffic Services (VTS) – a system for assisting shipping movements at sea – to allow offshore wind farms to be built closer to shipping lanes;
• providing clarity on the scope and application of UK and EU environmental regulation – relating in particular to the Birds and Habitats Directives – to help renewable development proposals to comply with environmental legislation.

The Marine Policy Statement, proposed under the draft Marine Bill, will also help to address planning issues in relation to offshore renewable developments by integrating the Government’s existing and new policies on marine issues, and identifying and resolving conflicts of this type.

The Devolved Administrations are also working on these issues in the light of their responsibilities for planning outside England and Wales.  The Government seeks to work collaboratively with the Scottish, Welsh and Northern Ireland administrations in achieving our UK renewables target.