Planning changes pave the way for wind turbines

Jul 17 2009 by David Black, The Journal

SCENIC landscapes across the region could be ‘carpeted’ by huge wind turbines as the Government launches a major new drive to boost renewable energy generation, it was claimed yesterday.

North East campaigners reacted with anger and dismay to the prospect of 6,000 more turbines being built in the UK countryside under Energy Secretary Ed Miliband’s pledge to go ‘further and faster’ on wind energy development.

They said they fear unspoiled moorland in Northumberland and County Durham will come under even more pressure from wind farm developers after Mr Miliband said he would make it easier for turbines to win approval.

Announcing the Government’s renewable energy strategy, Mr Miliband said Britain’s “default position” would be to accept new onshore turbines – and there would be changes to the planning rules to smooth the way for more wind farms to be built.

It is said councils will be encouraged to use Local Development Orders, which allow local planning authorities to approve developments without the need for individual planning applications.

Yesterday groups set up to fight wind farm schemes in the region described the strategy as “madness” and accused the Government of over-reliance on an inefficient and unreliable source of electricity generation.

Earlier this year research by The Journal revealed that up to 250 wind turbines could soon pepper the North East landscape if they are approved by planners – with many more at the scoping stage by would-be developers.

Anti-wind farm campaigners and experts say it would be vastly expensive and technically difficult to upgrade the National Grid to ensure it can cope with more wind energy.

Last year National Grid bosses estimated the bill to reinforce the system carrying electricity across the country could top £13bn.

The Government’s new drive to boost onshore wind power comes in the same week that it announced Blyth’s New and Renewable Energy Centre (NaREC) will be given up to £10m to develop wave and tidal test facilities.

The cutting-edge centre could receive further support, with ministers earmarking up to £120m to boost offshore wind power development. Campaigners say offshore wind farms should be encouraged as they avoid the landscape conflicts associated with onshore turbines.

Yesterday energy and climate change minister Lord Hunt announced the third round of leasing the UK’s waters for offshore wind farms, claiming it could mean up to 70,000 new jobs.

Last night Nick Blezard, chairman of the Save Northumberland’s Environment group which opposed the Wandylaw wind farm near Chathill, said Mr Miliband’s backing for more onshore wind reflected the Government’s increasingly “fast track” approach to pushing controversial developments through.

“It is totally iniquitous and wrong that the Government should want to steamroller things like wind farms through the planning process, and I’m sure there will be a lot of opposition to this. I fear places like Northumberland will suffer badly. Frankly, the place could be carpeted with wind turbines if this policy is followed.”

Andrew Joicey of Crookham, part of the Save Our Unspoiled Landscape group, said offshore wind farms were a much better option than building turbines in the countryside, which would result in poor and unreliable energy sources.

“I do fear for Northumberland and County Durham. I think we could easily see pockets of the countryside – which have been zoned as suitable for wind power – being absolutely filled with turbines.”

Dominic Coupe, a Northumberland spokesman for the Campaign to Protect Rural England, said: “This is madness. Never mind the destruction of beautiful countryside, in the teeth of the worst recession in living memory – Mr Miliband is adding £5 a week to every household’s electricity bill.

“What is really shocking is that this rise is being used to pay for wind energy which hasn’t yet been proved to work. To go ahead and force this through the planning system seems to defy belief.”

Mr Miliband said: “We want to do more and go further and faster. That is why we are reforming the planning system. The biggest threat to our green and pleasant land is not wind farms, it’s climate change.

“We need to change the default position so that people will come to understand the dangers of climate change to our beautiful countryside.”

The Government wants to cut carbon emissions by 34% by 2020 and the Department for Energy and Climate Change says wind should be generating enough electricity to power more than 15 million homes by then.