Following Labour’s triumphant victory at the General Election on a mandate with the establishment of Great British Energy and planning reform, the ban on onshore wind in England has been lifted within a week of the newly formed government.
An announcement by Chancellor Rachel Reeves, followed by a policy statement made on 8 July 2024 highlights the commitment from the new government to double onshore wind energy by 2030, and to do this the ban of onshore wind in England from 2015 has been removed.
Onshore wind farms in England will no longer need to be allocated in a relevant development plan and require community support. Projects coming forward will proceed through the planning system similarly to any other energy generating proposals.
This change comes in with immediate effect and will be confirmed at the State Opening on 18 July 2024.
Following the confirmation at the State Opening, the government is planning to make further changes to support renewable energy projects through the planning system. This includes plans to run a consultation on bringing large onshore wind proposals in England into the Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project (NSIP) regime, to support quick determination.
The announcement ensured the important role of local communities in the planning process for these onshore wind projects in England. Including a commitment for local communities to receive benefits, which will be included in the upcoming publication of the Community Benefits Protocol for Onshore Wind in England.
The team at T47 has unrivalled experience in delivering onshore wind projects, currently working on projects that would deliver close to 1GW of wind energy should they all be consented.
If you are considering bringing forward your onshore wind scheme off the back of this announcement, drop the team a line – we’d love to chat to you.
