New planning guidance on renewables

Monday, 9 August 2004 12:00 AM

New planning guidance from the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM) seeks to emphasise the "vital role" of renewable energy, according to Planning Minister Keith Hill.

Today's policy statement will apply to planning permission for large-scale renewable technologies, notably wind farms, but will also focus on smaller developments such as solar panels on new housing.

The Government is committed to a target of ten per cent of the UK's electricity being produced from renewable sources by 2010. Currently, with only one per cent of the world's population, the UK produces three per cent of its greenhouse emissions.

Wind farms are seen as one of the best ways of producing renewable energy, though in recent years there has been an increase in the number of protests against the location of wind farms, and some campaigners claim they are a blight on the landscape.

Speaking at the end of July, the Shadow Environment Secretary, Tim Yeo, called for a radical re-think of wind farm policy. He claimed: "Ministers have bet everything on land based wind farms in the belief that they are the quickest and the cheapest way to meet the Government's renewable energy target. They are pressing ahead regardless of the opportunities offered by other renewable energy sources; regardless of the cost to the British landscape; and regardless of the impact their policy will have on local people's lives."

Today's new guidance stresses that: "Government believes that renewable energy developments are capable of being accommodated throughout England where the technology is viable and environmental, social and economic impacts can be addressed in a satisfactory manner."

Local and regional plans will be required to "promote and encourage" the development of renewable technologies. Local planning authorities will be asked to set out guidance against which applications for renewable projects will be judged, rather than just identifying suitable locations.

Planning authorities, though, were urged to "consider carefully" any proposals that affect areas of national and international conservation importance.

On wind farms, Mr Hill said: "Although wind energy is expected to make a significant contribution to meeting our 10% renewable energy target by 2010, these policies will apply equally to all other renewable energy technologies, such as energy from solar resources, biomass, wave and tidal technologies and energy crops.

"The development of a broad range of renewable energy resources is vital in our fight against global warming and climate change."

A companion guide to the new planning guidance will be released within the next two months and will contain good practise guidance as well as technical data.

Friends of the Earth's campaigns director Mike Childs said: "It is good to see the Government is taking these small steps to promote the development of renewable energy resources in this country. Renewable resources such as wind, wave and biomass are vital in the fight against climate change. But if the Government is serious in tackling climate change, it must do far more than tweak its planning guidance - we need to see policies to promote renewable energy and cut carbon dioxide emissions across the whole of Government."

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