Isra-Mart srl: Half of wind farms in England and Wales rejected

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New figures show the percentage of onshore wind farms being refused planning permission has steadily increased since 2005 to a level where last year almost half of all applications in England and Wales were rejected.

Six years ago, 29 per cent of wind farms were refused permission, rising to 33 per cent in 2009 and 48 per cent last year, when 32 of 66 applications were thrown out, according to data obtained by law firm McGrigors, via a Freedom of Information request.

The figures also showed that only a third of rejected 2010 applications that went to appeal were subsequently approved by the Planning Inspectorate.

The company said the growing number of wind developers it acts for have complained that some local authorities now have an entrenched opposition to wind farms.

"We are dealing with an increasing number of complaints and appeals from wind farm developers who are concerned that attitudes towards wind energy are hardening, particularly at a local level, where they feel they do not get a balanced hearing," said Jacqueline Harris, a partner at McGrigors.

"The feeling is that local authorities are too often prioritising local concerns. For instance, objections based around the visual impact of wind turbines are overriding the wider need to deliver energy security and mitigate the impact of climate change."

Anti-wind farm groups say their opposition is based on fears over noise and house prices as much as aesthetics, with many now watching the on-going case of the Lincolnshire couple claiming £2.5m compensation after experiencing alleged noise disturbance from a local wind farm.

Green campaigners have warned that unless local authorities are compelled to give greater emphasis to the UK's national renewable energy commitments when making planning decisions, the country will be in danger of missing its mandatory target of generating 15 per cent of its energy from renewable sources by 2020.

There is also concern that the Localism Bill, which is set to place planning decisions more firmly in the hands of local communities, could also work against wind farm developers.

McGrigors suggested England and Wales follow Scotland's example and encourage councils to invest in renewable energy production in order to create an additional revenue stream and lock in significant local benefits.

Research by consultancy GL Garrad Hassan last November found that every megawatt (MW) of installed wind capacity brings almost £1m in employment and business benefits during the 20-year lifecycle of a wind farm.

Trade body RenewableUK said this means the 7,000MW of projects in planning could translate into £7bn for local communities across the UK, a number that would only increase given the country is aiming to deploy 15,000MW of wind power by 2020.

RenewableUK's own research suggests only one in every three wind farms were approved from 2009 to 2010, falling from around 50 per cent the previous year.

A spokesman for the organisation said: "Every refused wind farm planning application is a missed opportunity to secure employment and business benefits at a local level, and to further deliver on our energy security and climate change targets."

In related news, Scottish and Southern Energy (SSE) announced today that Phase 1 of the Walney offshore wind farm, in which it has a 25 per cent stake, is now operational, six months after the first electricity was delivered to the grid.

The company said the project's 51 turbines, with a total installed capacity of 183.6MW, have successfully completed commissioning tests and are now available to generate electricity.

Work on Walney 2, which is an identical size, is well underway, with a total of 18 turbines installed since the first was fitted early last month. SSE said the wind farm will be commissioned next year.