Turley Associates

Comment on supporting development of onshore wind

The Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) and Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) have announced their intention to implement a range of measures to further support the development of onshore wind turbines, whilst ensuring that potential effects are properly assessed and that host communities are properly consulted and share the benefits.

The key measures to be implemented are summarised below.

• Following a call for evidence on the costs of onshore wind development, DECC has confirmed that it has no intention to commence a review of the Renewable Obligation banding for onshore wind; the RO will remain at 0.9 ROCS/MWH for new generating stations accredited in the period 2013-2017
• DCLG will issue streamlined planning practice guidance for the consideration of applications for renewable energy including onshore wind development. This will supplement the NPPF and be issued in summer 2013
• DCLG is to introduce secondary legislation making it compulsory for developers to consult with local communities prior to making an application for planning permission for more significant onshore wind turbine applications. The timescales for this have not yet been confirmed
• In association with this compulsory requirement, DECC will publish a best practice guidance document for community engagement in early 2014
• DECC expects the onshore wind trade body, Renewable UK, to shortly announce an enhanced Community Benefit Protocol which will see the recommended level of benefit increase five- fold to £5,000/MW installed capacity/annum
• A register of CBF payments is also to be established to ensure transparency and exchange of good practice
• DECC is to issue an ‘evidence toolkit’ to enable local communities to access better evidence and better understand the effects of onshore wind development. This is to be issued by the end of 2013; and finally
• DECC will issue a Community Energy Strategy in autumn 2013. This will examine what more can be done to facilitate community ownership of all renewable energy technologies, including onshore wind. Mechanisms for providing discounted energy supplies to local communities and opportunities for local communities to invest in commercial scale developments will be amongst the options considered.

Comment

As is reflected in the panoply of planning and energy policy and legislation, the UK Government clearly remains committed to achieving its statutory obligations in respect of the delivery of renewable energy, the need for which they see as being urgent. Onshore wind will remain a key component of our future energy requirements and mix.

In our view the recently announced measures for onshore wind development do not change this position, as we explain further below.

• The decision to retain ROCs at present levels (0.9/MWH) will be welcomed by the industry at large and should inject increased investor confidence in the market; investment decisions on many schemes in the pipeline have recently been held back pending this announcement
• Based on the statement by Eric Pickles last week, the planning practice guidance to be published in the summer is unlikely to introduce anything new. Contrary to suggestions in the media, the need for renewable energy has never automatically overridden other environmental/amenity based considerations whilst assessment of the potential cumulative effects of multiple wind farm developments in an area is routinely considered as part of applications, as is the potential effect on the setting of heritage assets
• The requirement for compulsory consultation with local communities for ‘more significant’ developments is similarly unlikely to trouble the majority of responsible developers who already do this as a matter of course. We expect to see the definition of ‘more significant’ being set fairly low. The publication of best practice guidance is to be welcomed
• The detail of RenewableUK’s announcement regarding enhanced Community Benefit Payments will be interesting. Whilst the protocol is likely to be voluntary, expect to see the majority of developers complying. For larger schemes, the uplift in rate of benefit is unlikely to significantly undermine financial viability but may present challenges to smaller scale proposals
• The Government’s planned Community Energy Strategy is perhaps the most interesting aspect of the announcement. Some onshore wind developers are already facilitating discounted energy supplies and opportunities to invest in commercial scale developments. Mechanisms to support increased delivery of these and other measures are likely to be welcomed. Communities and individuals need to feel as though there is something “in it for them”; and finally
• The announced measures do not amount to a resident’s charter to ‘veto’ proposals as has been widely suggested in the media. In our view, the measures signal a retained commitment to onshore wind but within a framework where communities are properly engaged and can benefit from hosting what is nationally important energy infrastructure to a greater degree than previously.

Contact

Mark Worcester
Director
0161 233 7676
[email protected]

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