The guidelines set out key principles for planners to adhere
to including:
- Regional and local development plans should contain policies
that promote and encourage, rather than restrict, renewable energy
projects
- Planning authorities can require new developments
to use on-site renewable energy sources for a precentage of
their energy
- Local and regional planning policies should not rule
out or place constraints on specific technologies such as
wind farms
- The wider environmental benefits (such as climate
change) are materials considerations that should be given
significant weight in planning decisions on renewable energy
proposals
- Planners should not reject a proposal simply because,
on its own, the level of output is small.
Friends of the Earth's Campaigns Director Mike Childs said:
"It is good to see the Government is taking these small
steps to promote the development of renewable energy resources
in this country. Renewable resources such as wind, wave and
biomass are vital in the fight against climate change. But if
the Government is serious in tackling climate change, it must
do far more than tweak its planning guidance - we need to see
policies to promote renewable energy and cut carbon dioxide
emissions across the whole of Government."
Greenpeace climate campaigner Rob Gueterbock said:
"Those who think we can afford to slow down the development
of renewable energy and still tackle climate change are living
in cloud cuckoo land. Renewable energy, like wind power, offers
clean, safe energy from an endless natural source.
“The Government’s planning statement is an important
step towards developing these green technologies on a grand
scale. The message to local councils is clear; climate change
is a huge threat to every community in Britain, but if councils
get behind renewable energy projects up and down the land, we
can tackle it.”
Reacting to newspaper stories suggesting that Prince Charles
is to call for an end to the construction of on-shore wind farms,
Rob Gueterbock said:
