Following sustained political pressure, the government has announced plans to relax restrictions on building onshore wind farms in England if developments have the support of local communities. The government plans to seek views on how local approval for new developments can be sought by launching a consultation by Christmas which is expected to conclude by April 2023.
After an effective ban on new developments for over seven years, this is welcome progress, particularly the new commitment to consult on upgrading existing sites. It remains someway short, however, of creating a level playing field for onshore wind – a technology that offers the cheapest and fastest deployable clean energy that will help meet net zero and improve our energy security.
It is vital that the government secures the lifting of this effective ban as soon as possible and ensure the new planning rules will unblock the deployment of this important technology.
In 2021, our Co-Chair, Baroness Hayman sponsored a Private Members Bill to unlock the barriers to onshore wind. Since then, Peers have pursued this persistently, building support across parties and both Houses, and support remains as strong as ever for unlocking the potential of this vital part of our future energy mix.
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