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SECTION SPONSOR


PROFESSIONAL SERvICES


ONSHORE WIND STILL IN THE MIX


Post-election, there could well be a rash of planning applications for onshore wind development. As is the case across the country, the ‘easy’ sites have been taken and applications will be subject to greater scrutiny, while have the added complication of being subject to the competitive CfD procedure.


ENERGY PROVISION


Offshore wind will not plug the gap in energy provision for a long time yet, certainly not in time to meet 2020 targets. As Ed Davey MP, Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, said when he opened the SSE’s 34-turbine Keadby Wind Farm - England’s largest onshore wind farm "Onshore wind is the cheapest form of low carbon power we have. It powers millions of homes and provides thousands of green jobs for people across the UK.”


Increasingly the quality, comprehensiveness and transparency of reporting will matter as much as the survey data. Expect to see planners taking a much closer interest in your environmental statements because they, in turn, are going to be faced with more questions from stakeholders.


PRE-PLANNING PROCESS


While the next wave of applications will be for smaller scale developments, extensions and repowering schemes, the pre-planning process will be no less diligent. Objectors are well organised and better informed. Fewer local authorities have the benefit of in-house ecologists and they will be looking for comprehensive and unambiguous ecological chapters in applications.


FOCUS ON DE-RISKING The focus has to be on de-risking development: identifying likelihood of failure or the imposition of planning conditions that will affect financial planning. Understanding the environmental constraints early in project design can help to reduce the risk they may present to gaining planning consent.


Ensuring that renewable energy schemes are designed sensitively, take into consideration issues such as ecology, cultural heritage and visual impact and engage with the local community is likely to bear fruit in the years ahead.


SUCCESSFUL CONSENTED SCHEMES Recent consented schemes, such as that at Bishopthorpe in Lincolnshire, demonstrate that there is still a place for onshore wind. However, to be successful, it really is important that all environmental issues are resolved before an application goes in and resolved with appropriate mitigation proposals – this will increase the chance of getting turbines to turn.


Dr Jon Huckle Technical Director Atmos Consulting


www.windenergynetwork.co.uk


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EAST OF ENGLAND SPOTLIGHT ON


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