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Onshore windfarm ban to be lifted in government U-turn | Politics News


The government has rejected the onshore wind ban by saying that turbines can be installed if the projects receive support from local communities.

The Department of Leveling has launched a consultation to explore how councils can “demonstrate local support and respond to their communities’ views when considering onshore wind developments in the UK.” “.

And if locals agree to have wind farms in their area, they can also get lower energy bills.

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Land-based wind farms were effectively banned under the leadership of David Cameron when he excluded them from government green energy subsidies.

And asked during the summer Tory leadership contest what his position was, current Prime Minister Rishi Sunak confirmed to Sky News that he supported the ban.

But there has been a growing rebellion in the back seats of the Tory since he came to power calling for it to be dismantled.

About 35 MPs – including former prime ministers Boris Johnson and Shoes Lizsigned an amendment to the Upgrades Bill from former housing secretary Simon Clarke to allow for new onshore wind projects in the UK.

But others in the party are said to have written to Mr Sunak, urging him to comply with the ban.

The bill will be returned to the Commons next week and the government has reverse its mandatory home-building target 300,000 a year to try and secure through.

In a letter to MPs, Senior Minister Michael Gove said the government “recognised many views” within the party, but added: “We believe decisions on onshore wind are best made by local representatives who know their region best and are underpinned by democratic accountability.”

‘Active interactions with MPs’

A statement from the department said under the proposals, “planning permission would be contingent upon a project able to demonstrate local support and appropriately address any identified impacts.” determined by the local community”.

It added: “Local authorities will also have to demonstrate their support for a number of onshore wind-suitable areas, away from rigid requirements for sites designated in the plan. local.”

The department also said certain protective measures will be maintained, so National Parks and Green Belts will not have turbines, for example.

But as part of the consultation, the government will “seek perspective on developing local partnerships for supporting communities, so that those who want to organize new onshore wind infrastructure can enjoy benefit from that – through lower energy bills, for example.”

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak speaks during the Confederation of Birish Industry (CBI) conference in Birmingham, UK November 21, 2022. REUTERS/Phil Noble
Picture:
Rishi Sunak said during the summer leadership campaign that he supported a de facto ban on onshore wind

This is a way of generating cheap domestic energy that foreign powers cannot weaponize


Hannah Thomas-Peter

Hannah Thomas-Peter

Climate change and energy reporter

@hannahtpsky

Onshore wind advocates have long been baffled by the government’s reluctance to adopt it.

Whether out in the North Sea or on land, wind provides cheap, clean domestic energy.

For many, that’s an increasingly attractive prospect amid the energy crisis and rapidly warming planet.

Polls consistently show that the British public supports the idea.

But there is a group of powerful voices on the other side.

For them, the argument is about conservation; landscape, landscape and land use for agriculture.

The wind is also intermittent, they say: why spoil the natural beauty of England for something that cannot be relied upon?

But the government came back to this risky issue after making a basic calculation – people want to save money on their bills.

Octopus Energy is an example of a company offering discounts to consumers living near selected onshore turbines.

And it seems from the details of the new government consultation that this is something the government wants to explore on a broader basis.

This is, of course, a complicated affair to deal with, but market forces have a way of smoothly solving these problems.

Right now, the country has a significant need for cheap domestically produced energy that foreign powers cannot weaponize.

When it comes to effectively lifting the de facto ban on new onshore wind power projects, that’s what Rishi Sunak is betting on.

The statement said the policy decision was made after “the active participation of MPs”.

And rebel leader Mr Clarke said he was “really pleased” to see a “reasonable agreement” reached on the matter.

Campaigners and energy companies also hailed the change of heart, with Octopus Energy saying the removal of “bureaucracy” would help cut the UK’s reliance on fossil fuels. .

But Labour’s Lisa Nandy accused ministers of “in office but not in power”, saying: “Having just turned to their MPs on housing targets, they are now forced into the position because they are too weak to against others backbench rebellion.

“We’ll need to see the details, but if it’s some kind of fraud that leaves a very limited system for onshore wind – the cleanest, cheapest form of energy – that will continue to decline the bill.” lower energy costs in the UK and improved energy security during that time.” an energy crisis.”

Liberal Democrat MP Wera Hobhouse said the government had “dragged for years” before the decision, but also questioned whether the turnaround had gone far enough.

“Even this turnaround will make it too difficult to deploy wind power projects on land,” she said. “Renewable energy companies will face a lot of hardship, meaning we run the risk of seeing a de facto ban on onshore wind still in effect.

“Why is this Conservative government always behind the curve on Climate Action?”

Technical consultation on changes to the National Planning Policy Framework will be launched this month and end in April 2023.

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