Planning rules to be changed to make it easier for councils to approve new turbines with public support
By Charlotte Hall
After a long eight-year battle, it looks as though renewable energy supporters are heading for a win as British PM Rishi Sunak prepares to revoke the effective ban on building new onshore wind farms.
A new proposal, set to be voted on in the House of Commons today, will allow councils to approve turbine proposals where there is broad public support.
Since 2015, a regulation introduced under then PM David Cameron has meant that an objection by a single resident could prevent a wind farm from being built.
The regulation has effectively put a stranglehold on new onshore wind farm development. In 2022, only two new wind farms succeeded in passing the strict measures.
If the vote goes through, this could be set to change, as Sunak is reported to have approved a suggestion put forward by former COP26 president Alok Sharma last year.
Sharma said: ‘The government committed to change planning rules by the end of April 2023 to overturn the de facto ban on onshore wind, but this has not happened to date.
‘This amendment, therefore seeks merely to deliver on the government’s own promise and help to unlock investment in one of the cheapest forms of energy, and ultimately bring down household bills and improve the UK’s energy security.’
Sunak agreed to the proposals under pressure from prominent backbenchers. The plans are also supported by Labour, meaning the vote will only need the votes of six more Tory backbenchers to overturn a government majority tomorrow.
The Telegraph, who broke the story, claims ministers have been locked into negotiations with MPs for almost a week to hash out a compromise deal in order to avoid a ‘bruising defeat’ in the Commons.
The proposal will include discretionary powers for local authorities to choose the location of new onshore wind projects.
Wind power is a crucial source of renewable energy that lends itself particularly well to the windy isles of the UK.
Currently, there are around 1,500 operational onshore wind farms in the UK, with the majority of them located in Scotland.
Around 26.8 per cent of UK electricity is generated by both onshore and offshore wind farms, according to National Grid Group.
That’s the third highest percentage in Europe, behind Denmark with 55 per cent and Ireland with 34 per cent, according to Euronews.
However, the UK is set to fall behind if it does not quickly pick up the slack of the last eight years, as countries such as Germany, Sweden and Finland ramp up national wind projects.
In terms of total wind power capacity, China has forged rapidly ahead as it increasingly dominates the renewable energy industry. With 282 gigawatts, wind farms are China’s third biggest source of electricity, though coal is still in use for the lion’s share of national power supply. The USA follows in second place with 118 gigawatts, and Germany in third with 62 gigawatts.
The UK comes in sixth, lagging behind India and Spain with 24.5 gigawatts.
