How the planning landscape has changed

The proposed changes to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) look set to alter the landscape. An amendment to Paragraph 162 introduces a fixed requirement for Local Planning Authorities (LPAs) to support planning applications equally. LPAs must now review and support applications for every renewable energy source. This change removes the de facto onshore wind ban, putting wind applications on equal footing with all other forms of renewable energy.

Crucially, this amendment considers future forms of energy that might require approval. It sets the UK up for success in decarbonisation and long-term energy security. An amendment to Paragraph 163 (now set to be 164) states that LPAs must give “significant weight” to how much a proposal will contribute to renewable energy generation and a net zero future. This should make it easier for councils to approve projects, even if pockets of local communities are against them. An amendment to Paragraph 160b requires them to identify these areas when producing plans. This should encourage LPAs to move more quickly to identify suitable sites.

Labour has removed Footnotes 57 and 58 from the NPPF draft. This section required onshore wind energy developments to have overwhelming “community support”. As this was a major roadblock for almost all new wind farms, the change is set to increase approval of applications. It’s hoped this amendment will encourage local communities to discuss the importance of these onshore wind farms in achieving net zero.

While most of the planning changes apply to new sites, a change to Paragraph 163c makes repowering much easier. Previously, an application would be approved only if its overall impact was “acceptable.” This requirement has now been removed. As repowered projects are already up and running (and contributing to net zero efforts), they’ll likely be approved.

While Labour recognises the importance of agricultural land in the UK, footnote 64 in the NPPF will be amended to remove any note of the “availability of agricultural land for food production” as a critical decision-maker for LPAs.

Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIPs) consisted of any project larger than 50 MW — a classification of large-scale projects that few developers tackled because of greater regulation. These projects took far longer to approve and were considerably more expensive to build. Labour is hoping to change the thresholds for wind to 100 MW and 150 MW for solar. This should encoura