Newly announced Conservative proposals for the UK Planning system would make it harder for wind energy companies to build wind farms without the support of immediate neighbours.

The Tories say that on-shore wind farms are not appropriate in all settings: local community consent is vital, and applications will need to be considered in the light of the possible impact on the local environment.  This according to the Conservatives means allowing communities to be beneficiaries of onshore wind development.  The Conservative wind farm policy is to allow communities that choose to host wind farms to keep the business rates they generate for six years.  They are also “examining how community ownership of wind turbines can be introduced” despite many wind energy companies already operating community share option schemes at working wind farms.

The Conservatives believe that this is ‘fresh thinking’ and say that if they get into power this year they will actively support getting more of our energy from renewable sources, including both on-shore and off-shore wind.

Conservative proposals for the Planning system would also result in the loss of an individual’s right to a fair hearing.  The Tories want to limit the opportunity to appeal against local council planning decisions (such decisions will only be challengeable by developers or local residents if they involve abuse of process or failure to apply the local plan).  Given that the local plan is approved by local councillors – most development decisions would lie in local politicians control.

The Conservatives believe that decisions taken by locally elected representatives follow ‘a process of collaborative democracy’.  In my view this is based on either uninformed or deliberate idealism.  If your neighbour is good friends with a local politician and you want a small sympathetic extension to your house or a small turbine in your garden and your neighbour does not like your plans, you are unlikely to get your wish under a Conservative government.  Currently in many areas groups such as the Masons have a strong influence on local planning decisions in some circumstances using very untransparent and undemocratic methods.

The Conservatives view the Planning Inspectorate as a hindrance rather than as an independent body of professionals who give individuals and companies the right to a fair hearing based on the merits of their proposal rather than local politics.

Other proposals include abolishing the newly introduced Infrastructure Planning Commission whilst retaining its expertise and fast-track process within government (sitting within the already well established Planning Inspectorate).  Final decisions on big infrastructure projects including wind farms would be taken by ‘a democratically accountable Minister’.

Regional plan documents would be axed leaving no statutory plans between national and local level.  The Tories do however accept that there needs to be some co-ordination at a spatial level higher than individual planning authorities when it comes to local infrastructure.  The Conservatives say that they will “encourage unitary or upper-tier authorities to take a strategic view and take the lead in compiling Infrastructure Plans.”  It would seem much more appropriate if wind farm planning applications came under this tier of authority.