Councils should be stripped of the power to block onshore wind farms, ministers are told by quango which says the de facto ban is stopping the government from meeting its net zero targets
- It was ordered by Chancellor Jeremy Hunt in a bid to speed up planning permission for nuclear plants and offshore wind farms
Councils should be stripped of the power to block onshore wind farms, the UK’s infrastructure advisers have said.
The National Infrastructure Commission said the de facto ban was preventing ministers from meeting the government’s ambitious Net Zero targets.
It also recommended that all new energy projects should give those in the development area economic benefits to reduce any local opposition.
The Commission, which provides expert advice to the government on various infrastructure challenges, called for the number of offshore wind farms to double and a fourfold increase in power line approval.
The report was ordered by Chancellor Jeremy Hunt in a bid to speed up planning permission for nuclear plants and offshore wind farms after major energy projects have been hampered by legal challenges over the past decade.
Councils should be stripped of the power to block onshore wind farms, the UK’s infrastructure advisers have said
Approvals for onshore wind farms have fallen by 80 per cent since decision-making powers were handed to local authorities in 2016.
The report also says consenting times have increased by 65 per cent since 2012 – meaning projects now take over four years to be approved – while judicial reviews have increased from 10 per cent to 58 per cent in the same time period.
The Commission said designating wind farms as ‘nationally significant’ infrastructure would help wave more through by giving projects a presumption in favour of development.
The Commission said: ‘In the next decade, the UK needs to consent and build transformational infrastructure including wind farms, electricity transmission lines and reservoirs to achieve energy security and net zero, and build resilience to climate change.’
‘To achieve net zero, the system also needs to include all viable forms of renewable generation, including onshore wind.’
This would include bringing onshore wind ‘into the Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project system as soon as possible’, meaning development would take place on any projects that meet environmental and other standards.
It also stressed the importance of increasing the UK’s ability to speed up infrastructure generation, adding: ‘The UK has committed to decarbonise its electricity system by 2035, a task made more urgent by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. This could require around 20 new offshore wind farms to be consented in England and Wales in the next six years, with more than double the historic rate.
‘Renewable energy will require a change in the electricity transmission system. National Grid calculated that supporting the 50 GW offshore wind ambition by 2030 requires at least 17 new energy transmission consents within the next four years, allowing three years for construction. This is a more than fourfold increase in annual transmission project consents from historic rates.
Local resistance would also be mitigated by ensuring local communities receive ‘consistent, tangible and fair benefits from hosting network infrastructure’.
In November Mr Sunak scrapped a policy imposed by his predecessor Liz Truss which would have reformed planning laws and allowed more onshore wind farms to be built, even without the consent of local residents.
A government spokesman said: ‘We are reforming the planning process to clear the path for the energy infrastructure we need to secure our domestic energy supply and deliver the transport connectivity, water and waste management this country needs.’
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