Rishi Sunak has made a significant U-turn under growing pressure from Tory rebels and lifted the ban on onshore wind farms. The Prime Minister agreed that onshore wind decisions fall back on local communities. He also agrees that there is no longer a requirement for near-unanimous support for new wind farm developments to proceed.
Communities that agree to support onshore wind turbines could be rewarded with reduced bills, the government said.
A statement from the Department for Leveling Up, Housing and Communities reads: “The government is committed to launching a technical consultation to examine how local authorities are showing local support and responding to their communities’ views when considering onshore wind development in England .
“Decisions on onshore wind locations will continue to be made at the local level, as they are best made by local representatives who know their area best and are democratically accountable to the local community.
“To provide a more local approach, and its commitments to the UK’s energy security strategy, the government will consult on proposed changes to national planning policies. “Under the proposals, planning permission would be conditional on a project demonstrating local support and appropriately addressing any impacts identified by the local community.
“Local authorities should also show their support for certain areas suitable for onshore wind, moving away from rigid requirements for locations to be designated in local plans.”
The climb down comes just a day after Mr Sunak scrapped mandatory house building targets in the face of another uprising.
Currently, onshore wind farms are effectively banned as just one objection can lead to rejection as part of the planning process.
The new rules will still ensure that new wind farms are only approved with local permission.
They will no longer need near unanimity to proceed.
The change comes after 34 Tories – including Mr Sunak’s two predecessors as prime minister – signed an amendment to Michael Gove’s Levelling-Up and Regeneration Bill.
Simon Clarke, Mr Gove’s predecessor as secretary who drafted the Rebel amendment, said: “I am delighted that the government has come forward with a really sensible package designed to give decisions on new onshore winds back to local communities .
“Polling after poll shows that this is what people want. What I and fellow Conservative MPs have said is simply that communities should be able to make this decision themselves, rather than Whitehall ruling it out.”