Wind Turbine Planning Permission: The Ultimate Guide
 Topic: New wind farms |  Read Time: 19 mins |
 Landowner type:Independent landowners | Institutional landowners | Professional advisers | Site Operator |  Energy: Onshore wind |
30th December 2024Are you looking for an in-depth guide on wind turbine planning permission in the UK? From an interesting historical overview to a detailed rundown of current requirements and restrictions, these are the areas that we’ll cover in this ultimate guide.
Throughout my time in the renewables sector, I’ve received an abundance of queries about planning permission.
And that’s largely because the UK’s planning process can be confusing, drawn out, and inaccessible.
So, I’ve decided to take action.
I’ve put together this straightforward guide to clear up any confusion about wind turbine planning permission.
Whether you’re a landowner, project developer, or even a professional advisor, you’ll find something valuable in this guide.
My goal is to make wind turbine planning permission easier to understand, no matter your background.
To get a solid understanding, I began building this go-to guide by consulting a variety of trusted sources. One of those is wind energy expert Dr. Rebecca Windermer, who I’ll be referencing throughout the piece.
And in an attempt to provide you with the latest information, my team and I have carried out our own research to find some of the most recent information.
Now, I understand that planning rules can change over time (and completely change the scope of an application as a result). So, to keep you abreast of the latest developments regarding wind turbine planning permission in the UK, as we hear of any meaningful developments in the sector, I’ll update this article.
Be sure to sign up for our newsletter and bookmark this page – in this changing market, you’ll probably need to revisit it.
What Is Wind Turbine Planning Permission?
In its most basic terms, wind turbine planning permission refers to:
‘The approval given by the local authority under the power given to it by the 1948 Town and Country Planning Act to allow the building of, or changes to, a building.’
This responsibility is usually allocated to Local Planning Authorities by Parliament.
So, these authorities are the first port of call for seeking planning permission or asking relevant queries about new projects.
Just so you’re aware, any commercial wind turbine project requires planning permission, as they’re extensive developments.
Why Do I Need Wind Turbine Planning Permission?
Planning permission exists to make sure developments to properties are in line with local planning regulations.
And according to the Government, the main reason for planning permission is to:
- Ensure that [projects or housing] are built in a way that does not have a negative impact on the local community.
And this is where most of the pushback against wind turbines tends to come from – local communities and local authorities.
This can be problematic as these authorities are essentially in charge of approving planning applications.
Although opinions on wind turbines have improved over time, getting planning permission for new projects is still incredibly difficult.
However, promising recent developments should make planning permission easier for developers to obtain.
Labour’s July 2024 announcement removes restrictions on onshore turbine planning. It’s hoped that this step in the right direction toward clean energy in the UK will see a surge in operational wind farms over the next several years. However, stick with us if you’re wondering about the current state of planning permission for wind in the UK before these meaningful changes come into play.
Why Is Planning Permission So Hard to Get?
Planning permission isn’t difficult to get everywhere in the UK, but there’s still a lot of red tape around.
This is particularly true in England, where only 16 new wind farm projects were built between 2016 and 2022.
If we consider that 435 wind farms were built between 2011 and 2015, this marks a 96 per cent decrease overall.
This decrease is almost entirely down to a policy change put in place in 2015 under David Cameron’s leadership.
We’ll cover this in more detail later on, but this policy stipulated that onshore wind farms in ENGLAND (this distinction is important to make) must meet two key criteria:
- A wind farm must be located in an area that has been identified as suitable for wind energy in a local or neighbourhood plan.
AND
- That the planning impacts identified by the affected local community [must] have been fully addressed. The proposal must also have their backing.
It’s also worth noting that my 2023 research of 254 local authorities shows that just 20.8 per cent of local authorities have currently identified suitable sites for wind development.
What happened before July 2024?
Before July 2024, landowners and developers faced several significant challenges in securing wind turbine planning permission, including blockages from local committee members and the stringent nature of current policy criteria.
Many community committee members opposed turbines on local land, often viewing them as detrimental to the local community. This opposition stemmed from a mix of concerns about property values and personal preferences.
Recognising these obstacles, Labour has acknowledged that such planning policies have severely restricted new developments and hindered the UK’s net-zero efforts. With their commitment to a substantial increase in wind power by 2030, it is anticipated that landowners and developers will encounter far fewer issues in the application process in the future.
The outcome? More large-scale wind projects and meaningful strides toward achieving a cleaner energy landscape in Britain.
Recent Changes and What They Mean for Developers
With the new government lifting restrictions on wind farms with immediate effect, planning applications should move more swiftly through local authorities or be approved at a national level.
At the outset of the announcement, it’s still unclear as to whether the role of local authorities will change during the planning application process. However, it’s hoped that sites will need to meet less stringent criteria to be considered suitable for wind development.
This shift could benefit the country at large with increased clean energy that reduces our reliance on pricier oil and gas. Landowners and developers could also be rewarded financially from this environmentally conscious step forward.
In short, it’s a win-win for all.
That said, any change takes time, and it’s unlikely that further suitable sites will be bookmarked anytime soon.
A Brief History of Planning Permission in the UK
The birth of planning permission
The UK’s main town and country planning rules emerged after the Second World War.
At this time, it was largely a result of industrialisation and the rise of mass infrastructure.
Of course, there have been degrees of planning permission present in the UK before this.
And these came in the form of four different acts:
- The Housing and Town Planning Act 1909
- The Housing and Town Planning Act 1919
- The Town Planning Act 1925
- The Town and Country Planning Act 1932
The 1909 act marked the essential birth of town planning and prevented the building of ‘back-to-back’ houses. The act also meant that local authorities needed to build homes to a certain standard.
With the Housing and Town Planning Act of 1919, the government helped subsidise an impressive 500,000 houses within three years.
Although only 213,000 were eventually completed, this impressive planning act marked a strong movement towards grants for local authorities.
The Town Planning Act of 1925 was an act that aimed to consolidate current planning laws in England and Wales.
This act gave local authorities greater power to prepare or adopt town planning schemes in favour of the community.
Finally, the Town and Country Planning Act 1932 considerably extended the power of local authorities regarding planning schemes.
Not only could they construct underground shelters for civil defence without much resistance, but it was designed to protect ‘objects of interest or beauty’.
This act formed the building blocks of many modern planning permission guidelines that protect listed areas and Green Belt land.
Enter: The Town and Country Planning Act of 1947
As we briefly mentioned at the beginning of this section, planning permission in the UK hugely changed in 1947.
This was when the Town and Country Planning Act 1947 came to fruition (which was made law from 1 July 1948).
This marked a point where any new development would require planning permission.
Overall, it was designed to outline procedures that would control ‘urban sprawl into the countryside’.
So, it aimed to stop industry and development from overrunning rural areas.
This act put planning permission into the hands of local authorities and nationalised land development rights.
Another crucial point here was that ownership of land no longer meant that you were allowed to develop it.
This was the beginning of modern planning permission guidelines as we now know them.
Lifting the Burden 1985
By the 1980s, planning began to be seen as a barrier to growth in the UK.
This was famously outlined by John Moore in the 1985 speech and white paper, Lifting the Burden.
The paper called for the ‘Government to assess proposed and existing regulations from the point of view of the burden they may impose on business.’
This impassioned speech led to a record level of successful appeals against local planning policy.
Off the back of this development, the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 and Planning and Compensation Act 1991 were introduced.
This outlined that a local authority’s development plan should be a ‘significant factor’ in what might be permitted.
This replaced the 1947 act and divided planning into ‘forward planning’ and ‘development control’.
The Localism Act 2011 + Growth and Infrastructure Act 2013
A major planning development for the 21st century was The Localism Act 2011.
This abolished regional planning and introduced neighbourhood planning.
Following this act, the Growth and Infrastructure Act 2013 was brought in.
This allowed developers to submit planning applications for major developments (like wind turbines) directly to the Planning Inspectorate.
The 2013 act was particularly useful in areas where local planning authorities were incredibly slow to act.
David Cameron’s actions in 2015
The most recent major development to wind turbine planning permission in the UK came in 2015.
For context, around 100 Conservative MPs stated that onshore wind farms were ruining the visual effect of the landscape.
There were also arguments stating that wildlife was being heavily impacted.
Arguing that the public was ‘fed up’ with onshore wind, David Cameron pushed for (and achieved) changes to planning permission for turbines.
By altering simple wording in planning permission regulations, he created an essential moratorium on wind turbines in the UK.
Change to de facto wind farm ban in September 2023
There was a small glimmer of hope with Rishi Sunak announcing a potential rollback of the current policy as of September 2023.
Planning policy has changed slightly as a result to state that concerns from the local community should now be ‘appropriately’ addressed. This is a change from concerns needing to be ‘fully’ addressed previously.
Also called the ‘Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill 2022-23’, these changes aim to put onshore wind on a level playing field with other energy developments.
As of October 26 2023, this Bill is now an Act of Parliament (law). However, despite this policy, even war-ravaged Ukraine built more onshore wind than the UK between July 2022 and 2023. So, it was hardly an extremely effective policy in the grand scheme of things.
A step forward with Labour
To attempt to move clean energy efforts forward, the Department for Energy Security and Net-Zero (DESNZ) scrapped this policy on July 8, 2024. They claimed the community support clause in previous planning reform was ‘[often] interpreted to mean that any opposition means the proposal cannot be considered acceptable’.
With these clauses in place, communities could refuse new wind farms for any reason. By removing the potential for opposition to new onshore projects from local communities, Labour can meet its goal of doubling offshore wind capacity by 2030. DESNZ Secretary Ed Miliband has staunchly supported the removal of wind planning blockers.
He stated that “giving priority for planning permission for much-needed infrastructure sends an immediate signal to investors here and around the world that the UK is back in business.” Following the announcement, interested developers flooded Octopus Energy with requests for new wind farm projects (which is undoubtedly a positive step forward).
Homegrown Clean Energy
In addition to their steps forward with wind, Labour is also taking steps to boost private investment with homegrown, clean power projects.
This is all part of the Prime Minister’s Plan for Change, which is designed to rebuild Britain and boost the UK’s clean energy mix. Now, this is a relatively complex goal that requires following a few crucial steps.
This includes:
- Updating the National Policy Statements to give planners a clearer direction on infrastructure requirements.
- A plan to boost the National Grid’s infrastructure to improve connection timelines.
- Bringing onshore wind back into the Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project (NSIP) regime in England. This should make it far easier to push through wind projects that are larger than 100MW.
- A Planning and Infrastructure Bill that will streamline the delivery of critical infrastructure when it comes to planning.
- An aim to have communities benefit significantly from hosting any clean energy structures.
All of these steps are designed to pull the UK closer to its net-zero target while removing the country from its reliance on fossil fuels and foreign gas.
What about permitted development?
Although there were some allowances for ‘permitted development’, these developments would need to meet strict criteria.
These permitted developments often apply to housing extensions and conversions.
So, very few wind turbines would fall under permitted development in the UK.
The only time when this would apply was to a single domestic turbine (and strict conditions would need to be met.
We’ll get to this in more detail in just a minute, so don’t worry.
Current Wind Turbine Planning Permission Requirements Across the UK (Updated for 2024)
England
Getting wind turbine planning permission in the UK has historically been complicated, and it became even more so after 2015.
As a result of David Cameron’s policy updates in the same year, getting the green light for commercial turbines became quite challenging in several parts of the country. This was mainly because local authorities were required to specify suitable sites for wind energy (which often didn’t happen due to various other priorities).
However, with the new plans announced under Labour in July 2024, we’ll likely see significant progress with new wind projects – and fast.
By removing the de facto ban on new onshore wind projects, developers should have the confidence and impetus to push new proposals forward. Of course, we’ll need to wait and see how this happens in real-time. But we’re pretty confident that obtaining planning permission will be far more accessible than it was between 2015 and 2024.
Wales
Like Scotland, Wales is far more supportive of onshore wind than England.
According to Dr. Rebecca Windermer’s in-depth research, the current wind turbine planning permission document for Wales has allocated eight broad spatial areas for wind development.
With these broad areas comes a great degree of certainty, showing just how supportive the planning policy is.
As of 2023, there were an impressive 44 operational wind farms in Wales.
Now, there’s still a way to go with wind power in this part of the country. But the lack of planning restrictions in this part of the UK makes new projects far easier to build than in England.
Scotland
When it comes to getting wind turbine planning permission in the UK, heading to Scotland is your best bet.
Scotland’s general climate policy is far kinder to onshore wind than other parts of the country. In fact, Scotland even has an Onshore Wind Quality Statement that makes sure the wind turbine planning process is fit for purpose.
It’s also worth mentioning that Scottish policymakers understand that wind farms may have longer lifespans than 25 years. For that reason, Scotland can easily give longer consent periods. This offers more certainty for projects and encourages new planning applications.
If you’re wondering why Scotland’s approach is so different to England’s, it’s largely down to politics.
As we mentioned before, England’s planning restrictions were introduced due to pressure from 100 Conservative MPs. And Scotland simply hasn’t seen the same political backlash against new turbines as England has.
What About Domestic Wind Turbine Planning Permission?
The main domestic turbines you’ll find in the UK are building-mounted and pole-mounted.
Both options tend to be popular with households, as they can effectively reduce electricity bills by around £350 a year.
It’s not always necessary to seek planning permission for domestic wind turbines, but they need to meet strict guidelines.
In England, wind turbines can be classed as permitted development if:
- There are no other wind turbines in the area or an air source heat pump currently on the property
- The bottom of the turbine’s blades is at least five metres from the ground
- The turbine isn’t in a conservation area, World Heritage site, or on the grounds of a listed building
In Scotland, planning permission won’t be required if:
- The wind turbine is the only one on the property
- The turbine is more than 100 metres from another property’s boundaries
- The turbine isn’t located in a conservation area, World Heritage site, or on the grounds of a listed building
In Wales and Northern Ireland, you’ll need planning permission for any wind turbine (domestic or not). So, for installations in this part of the country, you’ll always need to fill out a planning application.
The Planning Process (and How to Improve the Chances of Getting Permission)
Understanding the planning permission process for wind turbines is crucial. If you know the different stages, you’ll be far better placed to navigate a new application.
Now, we’ll update this blog as and when Labour chooses to announce its finalised plans for new wind farms in England. However, as it stands, the current planning permission process is outlined in detail below.
There are four major stages that cover initial suitability assessments, submissions, application management, and any required appeals. Although some large-scale projects may be rejected, the need to appeal applications will likely take a swift dive following Labour’s push for new wind projects.
But as we said – watch this space, and we’ll keep you in the loop.
Check Your Chances of Getting Wind Farm Planning Permission
Use our free Wind Farm Planning Permission Checker to see how likely your land is to secure planning approval — quick, simple, and no commitment.
So, what is the planning permission process?
1: Screening and consultation stage
At this stage of the game, the relevant Local Planning Authority (LPA) should still be consulted for new projects. They’ll advise on whether a developer needs to carry out an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and whether the area is suitable for wind development.
If it’s not appropriate, there’s not much point in pursuing the project further as the Local Authority won’t grant planning permission. However, as we mentioned earlier, Labour’s wind plans may overturn this step and bring decisions to the national level. So, this process may well change in due course.
If the land is suitable for turbines, developers will need to uncover potential issues with the land that may prevent approval.
Remember, previous planning laws meant that communities could veto projects. Equally, a local authority could quickly reject a viable proposal if they hadn’t pinpointed the area as suitable for wind development.
However, I hope that Labour removing these requirements for new projects will make a huge difference. In theory, more projects will now reach the application submission and approval stage.
Labour’s changes should give developers the confidence to put forward stellar sites that local authorities have previously rejected. It’s also worth noting that the chance of local uproar causing a project to fail is also less likely.
2: Application surveys and submission stage
If an application passes stage one, developers must consider a planning design and start working with relevant stakeholders. After all, a project will need financing to get off the ground.
At this stage, bird surveys and any relevant cultural heritage and soil assessments are often carried out. This is meant to show that any turbines placed on the land won’t adversely affect local wildlife or the local environment.
For non-planning-experts, this is also the time to run statements and design elements past relevant experts. For all applications in England, a community consultation needs to be completed by this stage. This is where the application is presented to the community and given approval or is rejected. However, it’s extremely likely that this part of the process will shift with Labour’s new wind farm announcements.
While previous projects could generally be rejected for any reason under terms of the 2015 onshore wind ban, this is set to be far more unlikely from July 2024 onward. Rachel Reeves has stated that she plans to revise planning policy, shifting decisions from local to national level.
While they still need to implement these plans, Labour intends to consult on whether large wind farms will be nationally significant infrastructure projects. If this occurs, Energy Secretary Ed Miliband would effectively sign off large-scale projects instead of local councils. By largely removing the input of local authorities and communities, the likelihood of authorities denying planning permission is bound to decrease significantly.
In addition to making permitting decisions timelier, Labour also plans to further incentivize community engagement and benefits for new wind projects. Not only should this soften the blow for those not currently on board with wind, but it may even drive new interest in renewables that benefit the net-zero effort.
3: Application management stage
Next is the application management stage, where relevant parties on the project meet with a dedicated Planning Officer. This is the last opportunity to provide the local authority with the information it will need to make a decision.
While this is technically still in place as of July 2024, Labour’s removal of the onshore wind ban may well push projects through without the need for local authority involvement.
As we briefly mentioned in the previous section, the energy secretary may sign applications off if they’re considered large enough.
If this doesn’t end up being the case, there will likely be a degree of reform to the process within local authorities. Should this happen, the chances of rejection will still drop significantly.
4: Post-consent and potential appeals stage
The developer can start the construction process if a local authority approves the planning application at this stage. But if a local authority rejects it, the developer will either need to abandon the project or bring it to the appeals stage.
Appeals can take up to 18 months to complete, depending on the part of the country. So, relevant parties must remain patient while waiting for the local authority to review the appeal and decide. At this stage, planning experts come in handy to guide an appeal.
It’s hoped that scrapping the de facto onshore wind ban will make appeals less necessary. But until we see the policy changes in action, it’s tricky to fully understand just how seamless the planning process will become.
Think about repowering
This may not apply to you if you’re not already dealing with a wind farm project on your land. However, repowered sites typically escaped previous planning permission restrictions as they’d already been approved.
We’ll mention here that most onshore wind farms receive 25-year planning permission. However, most sites tend to repower at the 15–20-year mark, which also involves renegotiating the current land lease.
You technically need to reapply for planning permission if you’re repowering a site. However, the hurdles are much lower. So, it’s hoped that Labour’s new planning regulations will make the repowering process relatively seamless.
Just how many wind farms go all the way to construction?
Before Labour introduced its new policy proposals in July 2024, local authorities rejected policies for countless reasons. These reasons for refusing to allocate sites ranged from a lack of natural resources to a supposed lack of proposals.
Previously, we would have encouraged developers to approach local authorities who had previously green-lit projects, as you were far more likely to secure planning permission near areas with existing wind turbines. It was, therefore, a sensible strategy to start there.
However, if local authorities are to play a less significant role in approving projects in the future? Well, this may give many regions of the country the go-ahead to host new projects.
Now, isn’t that an exciting prospect?
How to figure out which local authorities have identified suitable areas for wind development
As of 2023, 32 local authorities have onshore wind policies. Of these 32 local authorities, 21 include a map identifying suitable sites. Although the ratio is still significantly off where we need it to be for environmental progress, it’s something.
So, if you’re looking for secure options for suitable wind sites, the following local authorities are good places to start
Which Local Authorities Are Most Welcoming to Wind Farms?
- Allerdale
- Barrow-in-Furness
- Bedford
- Burnley
- Cheshire East
- Cheshire West and Chester
- County Durham
- Darlington
- East Lindsey
- Eden
- Exmoor National Park
- Halton
- Harborough
- Hartlepool
- Havering
- Hull
- Huntingdonshire
- Lake District National Park
- Lancaster
- Liverpool
- Melton
- North East Lincolnshire
- North West Leicestershire
- North York Moors National Park
- Redcar and Cleveland
- Rossendale
- Rotherham
- Rushcliffe
- Salford
- Windsor and Maidenhead
- Wyre
- Blackburn with Darwen
- Blackpool
- Charnwood
- East Devon
- Fenland
- Leeds
- Leicester
- Mid Sussex
- North Norfolk
- South Tyneside
- Stroud
- Sunderland
- Teignbridge
- Ashford
- Bolsover
- South East Lincolnshire
- Breckland
- Cambridge
- Cheltenham
- Great Yarmouth
- Harrogate
- Mid Devon
- Rother
- Scarborough
How Long Can It Take to Get Wind Turbine Planning Permission?
From my most recent research, I’ve found that getting a wind farm from the initial planning application stage to planning completion takes an average of 3.8 years.
The longest period I’ve seen is 15 years, and the shortest is 0.25 years (3.9 months).
Typically, short stretches from the application submission stage to the operational wind farm stage happen only when local authorities are supportive of wind power.
However, once Labour’s new wind policies are fully up and running, we expect the time from application to construction to dip.
Now, it’s worth noting that increased applications for new projects will put a degree of pressure on the National Grid. After all, the current backlog of applications for Grid connection won’t suddenly evaporate with the advent of looser planning regulations. But a move toward net zero may also encourage a more efficient Grid processing system in due course.
How Much Does Planning Permission Cost?
Although it’s almost impossible to give an exact answer to this question, getting planning permission for large turbines can be extremely expensive.
For a comprehensive assessment with surveys and application fees, this can be upwards of £60,000.
It’s also worth noting that planning permission applications can vary based on area and council.
So, figures can vary significantly from place to place.But when you add this to the average cost of a wind turbine, it’s certainly an expensive venture.
Our Final Thoughts on Wind Turbine Planning Permission
I’ve long found government policies on wind turbine planning permission frustrating. And that’s because they’ve made building new projects completely untenable across large parts of the country.
In light of the previous policy structure, I have always felt that local authorities needed to review potential locations on a case-by-case basis instead of allocating suitable sites on their own timeline. Equally, I felt that we should reduce community involvement, as a single objection to a new project could scupper a viable wind farm.
With Labour scrapping the de-facto ban on onshore wind around the country, the future certainly looks brighter for clean energy. For a start, the plan to bring approvals to the national level removes pressure on local authorities to allocate appropriate land for new projects. Furthermore, removing restrictions on wind leaves little room for communities to oppose necessary projects in their local area.
Now, this may cause friction for those who staunchly oppose wind power. But in my book, it’s a huge step forward if we hope to meet the UK’s climate obligations in the coming years.
If you want to learn more about planning permission in the UK (or are curious about new developments in the sector), get in touch. Our expert team is well-versed in the ups and downs of wind turbine planning permission, and we’ll happily guide you through it.
