The Coalition Programme made clear this Government’s commitment to renewable energy. DECC also wants communities and individuals to benefit from the increase in renewable energy, including wind power, and to own a stake in our collective low-carbon future. This is why the Government has committed to encouraging more community-owned renewable energy and ensuring business rates are retained locally.
The Government also welcomes the new Community Engagement Protocol announced by RenewableUK. This protocol enables payments from wind farms to community benefit funds.
The Government has committed to reforming the current planning system and will be presenting a simplified and consolidated National Planning Policy Framework to Parliament. The new planning framework will cover all forms of development and set out our national economic, environmental and social priorities.
The Government will also introduce neighbourhood planning and neighbourhood development orders through the Localism Bill. This will enable communities to draw up neighbourhood plans to shape development in their own locality and permit development without the need for planning applications. Under neighbourhood planning, local communities can help shape their own low-carbon future. Neighbourhood plans should be in line with the relevant local authority plans and national policy.
Devolved administrations
Information about wind energy policy in the devolved administrations can be found on the websites of the respective parliaments: