After over a year of preparation, the Government has released a new UK national policy statement on renewable energy.
The statement is one of a series of NPS (National Planning Statements) documents intended to guide the new Infrastructure Planning Committee (IPC) in coming to decisions on large scale infrastructure projects. The statements will set out criteria on national need, benefits and impacts. With the exception of the NPS for airports and nuclear power stations, sites are not identified for specific proposals.
The Renewable Energy NPS applies specifically to biomass and onshore wind energy projects comprising 50 Megawatts + and to offshore wind energy projects, including the substations and new overhead power lines.
The renewable energy supportive NPS will also be a material consideration to be taken into account when authorities decide on projects under 50 Megwatts – (i.e smaller wind farms and biomass plants). The document will overide local planning policy if there is any conflict, for example with regard to new structures in locally protected landscapes.
The statement may concern planning authorities in Wales who have attempted to “refine” wind farm strategic search areas introduced by the Welsh Assembly. The NPS says that in order to give the refined boundaries weight, the IPC should be satisfied this is in accordance with Welsh Assembly guidance.
National landscape and ecological designations continue to be protected with a requirement that the objectives of these designations are not compromised and adverse effects are outweighed by environmental and social benefits.
Offshore wind energy developers will be expected to explain how they have drawn on the Governments strategic environmental assessment of UK waters in making their site selection. According to the NPS, strategic environmental assessment work carried out by the Government will be rolling and a research programme and data collection facility will inform future assessments. Offshore wind developers will need to identify onshore grid connection routes or “corridors” and in some cases the new grid infrastructure may be defined as a nationally significant infrastructure project in its own right.
For onshore wind farms the NPS notes that the technology is likely to continue to be an important contributor towards the UK’s energy needs. The NPS says that the time-limited and non-permanent nature of wind farms should be a relevant consideration when assessing the indirect effects of wind farms on the historic environment, for example the effects of wind farms on the setting of listed buildings or conservation areas. This is particularly helpful given that wind farms are only normally planned for 25 years, whereas historic buildings may have been around for hundreds if not thousands of years, with a continued long life ahead. Wind farms would probably be around for only the blink of the eye of some historic buildings.
According to the list of 11 energy projects in pre-planning compiled by the IPC four are onshore wind farms and one an offshore wind farm.
The progress of these projects will be watched closely by the energy industry.
