BWEA Press Release
Friday 6th August 2004
UK wind industry calls for key actions on planning
Faster decisions needed to meet renewable energy targets
The UK wind industry today warned that unless the time taken to receive planning decisions is speeded up, the UK runs the risk of not meeting the 2010 10% renewable energy target.
New research released today1 by BWEA2 shows that the length of time taken through planning for onshore wind farm applications is three times greater than the recommended guide time for all developments, with decisions taking nearly one year from submission and continuing to increase. The major conclusions of the research which examined planning decisions since 1999 are that in England, the average time for projects in planning has increased from an average of 9.4 to 11.2 months, three times that of the guide length of 16 weeks for major applications; Section 36 projects3 in Scotland are taking between two to three years to come to a determination while the most worrying trend is that only 5% of wind energy schemes are determined within 13 weeks. This data is significantly out of step with other major projects4, 44% of which are determined within 13 weeks.
Onshore wind energy has been repeatedly identified as critical to meeting the UK's 2010 targets that 10% of electricity supplies come from renewable energy technologies. The UK has 767 megawatts (MW) of wind generating capacity installed now with planning consent awarded for a further 1306 MW, from both on and offshore projects. However, an additional 2,168 MW of onshore capcity needs to be consented by 2007 if onshore wind is to meet its expected contribution to the 2010 target.
BWEA is therefore calling for three key actions to ensure that this is achieved and to ensure that the planning system is streamlined and made more efficient for all renewable proposals.
- More resources for decision making authorities, at the local level and particularly for Section 36 teams;
- The immediate publication of PPS225 to provide the necessary policy framework and guidance urgently required by local policy formers and decision makers;
- Streamlining and simplification of the process so that post planning condition delays6, which can often add a further 12 months, are minimised.
Chris Tomlinson, BWEA Head of Onshore Wind, commented:
"Some wind projects are taking two to three years to determine. This is not an issue about whether a project is approved or refused, but instead is about ensuring we have a planning system that is able to deliver timely, robust decisions which address all the issues. The current delays are not good for anyone involved in the process."
"We only need 2000 more wind turbines to meet the onshore portion of the targets, but we simply must get quicker decisions to measure progress and assess future need to meet the targets. This new research shows that the length of time in planning for wind energy projects is increasing to unacceptable levels when compared with other developments."
Notes:
1. The report, Wind Energy and Planning: An Overview, is available to download from www.bwea.com/planning
2. BWEA is the largest renewable energy association in the UK with over 330 companies active in the sector in membership.
3. Major developments are categorised as those larger than 1 hectare if non-residential.
4. A scheme is determined under Section 36 of the Electricity Act when it is greater than 50 MW capacity, although the Local Planning Authority remains a statutory consultee. The Scottish Executive is the determining body in Scotland, while the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) adjudicates over all other S.36 applications at this time.
5. PPS22 (Planning Policy Statement 22) updates the existing PPG22 (Planning Policy Guidance 22 on renewable energy) in light of changes in energy policy, providing clearer guidance for local planning authorities in formulating policies and assessing applications relating to all renewable technologies.
6. Post-consent delays refer to the situation where a planning application is approved by the local planning authority, but final consent to develop/build is held back until additional details are finalised, such as Section 106 agreements. S.106 refers to a legal agreement between the local planning authority and developer, they provide a means to enable the proposed development to proceed and to meet the needs of the local community associated with the new development by securing developer contributions towards the provision of infrastructure and services. For a wind farm application it typically takes 6-12 months to finalise S.106 agreements.
All BWEA member developers sign up to industry Best Practice Guidelines which can be downloaded from http://www.bwea.com/ref/bpg.html
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