Bowing to pressure from MPs and local communities the government has announced a series of measures to give local communities more say in planning applications for onshore wind development and the chance of greater community benefits. This was all revealed in a Written Ministerial Statement from Eric Pickles, Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government. So what does giving “local people far more ability to shape the places in which they live” now mean in relation to windfarms? Firstly, secondary legislation will be amended to make pre-application consultation with local communities compulsory for more significant onshore wind applications. Secondly, the Government will be expecting the windfarm industry to revise its Community Benefit Protocol by the end of the … Continue reading
Onshore Wind: More Say For Communities and Increased Benefits
Bowing to pressure from MPs and local communities the government has announced a series of measures to give local communities more say in planning applications for onshore wind development and the chance of greater community benefits. This was all revealed in a Written Ministerial Statement from Eric Pickles, Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government. So what does giving “local people far more ability to shape the places in which they live” now mean in relation to windfarms? Firstly, secondary legislation will be amended to make pre-application consultation with local communities compulsory for more significant onshore wind applications. Secondly, the Government will be expecting the windfarm industry to revise its Community Benefit Protocol by the end of the … Continue reading