Wind

Support for Planners

In October 2003, Regen SW produced guidance on 'The appropriate development of wind energy'.  This provided local planning authorities with information about the issues that arise when a planning application for a wind energy development is submitted and to provide guidance on where to find more detailed independent information.

Since then, national planning policy guidance has been updated, and experience of wind-energy developments in the region has spread. There is now a wealth of information relating to wind energy planning applications, including planning policy statement (PPS22) and its companion guide, planning officers, and planning inspectors reports. Please contact Regen SW to obtain copies of recent Inspectors reports from proposals in the south west.

Through the process of establishing the evidence base for renewable energy targets in the regional spatial strategy, Regen SW has developed tools and expertise that are available to local authorieties to support them, including:

South West Public Engagement Protocol on Wind Energy

In order to encourage wind energy developers to undertake pre-application consultation with local people about schemes they are proposing in the region, Regen SW developed a protocol and guidance on community engagement for wind energy. Local planning authorities and wind energy developers are invited to sign up to the protocol to ensure local consultation and benefit result from wind energy schemes proposals in the region. The south west protocol was used as the basis for the development of a national protocol, which can be found at http://www.cse.org.uk/pdf/pub1079.pdf 

For more information follow this link.

Signing up to the Protocol

Signing up to the Protocol does not imply support for individual wind energy applications, nor is the Protocol expected to influence individual applications. For local planning authorities the requirements of the Protocol are to ensure they prepare and apply clear policies on wind energy and to give assistance and guidance to developers in drawing up and implementing their consultation plan. For wind energy developers this means producing a written plan outlining how they will consult the public and what feedback mechanisms will be in place to keep the local community informed of the developments progress.

To sign up, developers or local authorities simply need to send a signed letter on headed paper confirming that they wish to sign up. They should send this to Cheryl Hiles,  senior policy manager at Regen SW on 01392 474326.