In one of its first actions since forming the new UK Government, Labour boosted the UK's journey to net zero by announcing that it will remove the de facto ban on onshore wind in England.
De facto onshore wind ban
In 2015, the UK Government under David Cameron imposed strict planning tests on potential onshore wind projects in England which made it nearly impossible in practice to have an onshore wind planning application accepted.
No such tests were introduced in Scotland and the contrasting fortunes of onshore wind in both countries in the nine years since is stark:
- There was a 97% reduction in the number of wind turbines granted planning permission in England in the period 2016-2021 compared to 2009-2014
- 93% of new onshore wind capacity submitted for planning approval in the UK since 2016 has been in Scotland, according to an EnergyPulse report commissioned by RenewableUK
- England's share of the UK's operational onshore wind capacity will decrease from 21% in 2020 to just 11% in 2030, according to the same report
New Government's announcement
In her first speech as Chancellor last month, Rachel Reeves announced that the new Government would be updating the NPPF to remove the footnotes that had established the stringent tests in 2015. As confirmed in the concurrent publication of a policy statement, this will place onshore wind on an equal footing with other renewable and low carbon energy development proposals.
Impact on the UK onshore wind sector
Some developers did anticipate this change – not least because Labour had trailed sweeping planning reforms in its manifesto – and have begun preparing for it.
However, it is unlikely that the announcement will lead to an immediate and significant increase in the number of planning applications in the short term. This is because other considerable challenges remain for onshore wind developers, including:
- Finding suitable sites with high and consistent wind speeds
- Securing grid connection offers
- Overcoming financial pressures
- Ensuring sufficient personnel expertise
While UK developers may begin to shift their focus from Scottish, Welsh, and Northern Irish sites to English ones in the coming years, it may be some time before that transition happens on a large scale.
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