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Solar Energy\u00a0<\/strong>UK <\/p>\n\n\n\n The solar industry has welcomed proposals to change planning rules for solar projects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The consultation on the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), released yesterday, is intended to turbo-charge the delivery of renewable generation \u2013 and thus move the nation further towards cheaper energy bills and lower greenhouse gas emissions.[1,2]<\/p>\n\n\n\n The paper seeks to, \u201cdirect decision makers to give significant weight to the benefits associated with renewable and low carbon energy generation, and proposals\u2019 contribution to meeting a net zero future. In doing so, this aims to increase the likelihood of local planning authorities granting permission to renewable energy schemes and contribute to reaching zero carbon electricity generation by 2030.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The proposed amendments say that local authorities \u201cshould support planning applications for all forms of renewable and low carbon development,\u201d giving, \u201csignificant weight\u2026 to renewable energy generation and a net zero future.\u201d A further change would recognise that \u201ceven small-scale and community-led projects provide a valuable contribution to renewable energy generation and a net zero future.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Land<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n One the consultation\u2019s most critical aspects concerns the use of agricultural land.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Doing so would effectively remove a fundamental disparity between how applications for solar farms are considered by central and local government. This should help make the rules clearer for decision makers, make refusals less common, reduce the likelihood of appeals and therefore accelerate decarbonising the power system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The EN-3 document governs applications for English solar farms with a capacity of 50MW or more and those above 350MW in Wales.[3] These are treated as Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIPs) and considered by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, on advice from the Planning Inspectorate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n EN-3 defines renewable energy generation as \u201cCritical National Priority\u201d infrastructure, whose \u201cnational security, economic, commercial and net zero benefits\u201d generally outweigh any impacts. It adds that the grade of agricultural land that may be used for them \u201cshould not be a predominating factor\u201d in determining applications.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In contrast, the current NPPF refers to the consideration of agricultural land for food production, which local planning authorities have used to refuse planning permission for solar farms. The footnote was added under the Conservatives last year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe industry will be glad to see the back of this provision in the NPPF, which was used a pretext for planning refusals. As Energy Secretary Ed Miliband said recently, solar farms do not pose a threat to the nation\u2019s food security \u2013 and never will,\u201d said Chris Hewett, Chief Executive of Solar Energy UK.[4]<\/p>\n\n\n\n Threshold<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Another key aspect of the consultation is raising the 50MW threshold to 150MW.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Applications for Development Consent Orders for NSIPs come with greater burdens than those made under the Town and Country Planning Act (TCPA). More resources must be deployed towards the application itself and accompanying environmental assessment and consultation activities. Accordingly, few projects have come forward in the 50-150MW range as developers have not considered them cost effective. The department argues that the proposal should remedy this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n However, NSIP applications come with the advantage of clarity, whereas decisions taken under the TCPA can be inconsistent. Local planning authorities and the Planning Inspectorate have taken differing positions on the weight to be given to decarbonising the power system, high-quality farmland, visual impacts and development within the Green Belt. This has led to many successful appeals to the Secretary of State, with the cost of their unsuccessful defence falling on the taxpayer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Although the changes to the NPPF are intended to resolve such issues, Solar Energy UK remains cautious about changing the 50MW threshold. The industry will consider the proposals and to what extent they would accelerate solar deployment in the next decade, which is the outcome we all want to see. The merits of changing the threshold have been debated for many years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Changing the definition of NSIP does have precedent: battery energy storage systems were transferred to the TCPA in 2020, removing inappropriate costs and encouraging larger projects to be put forward, helping further decarbonise and improve the resilience the UK\u2019s energy system.[5]<\/p>\n\n\n\n [1] Proposed reforms to the National Planning Policy Framework and other changes to the planning system<\/a> <\/p>\n\n\n\n [2] National Planning Policy Framework<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n [3] National Policy Statement for renewable energy infrastructure (EN-3)<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n [4] Miliband slams food security fearmongering<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n [5] Infrastructure Planning (Electricity Storage Facilities) Order 2020<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2013 ENDS \u2013<\/p>\n\n\n\n Editor\u2019s notes:<\/p>\n\n\n\n For more information or to request an interview, please contact:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Gareth Simkins, Senior Communications Adviser<\/p>\n\n\n\n gsimkins@solarenergyuk.org<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n news@solarenergyuk.org<\/a> | solarenergyuk.org<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Solar Energy\u00a0UK31 July 2024 The solar industry has welcomed proposals to change planning rules for solar projects. The consultation on the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), released yesterday, is intended to turbo-charge the delivery of renewable generation \u2013 and thus move the nation further towards cheaper energy bills and lower greenhouse gas emissions.[1,2] The paper […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":9127,"template":"","custom_tag":[198,321,322],"class_list":["post-9991","news","type-news","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","custom_tag-solar-farms","custom_tag-community-energy","custom_tag-planning-policy"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n
31 July 2024<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n