Additional reporting by Calum Ross at Westminster and Cameron Brooks at Holyrood
Campaigners fear tough new rules in England which allow residents to block new windfarms could lead to developers flooding Scotland with applications, as MPs warned the new measures spelled the ‘beginning of the end’ for onshore turbines.
Councils will be told to put residents’ concerns over the need for renewable energy under new guidance for authorities, putting emphasis on the impact of turbines to the landscape and heritage.
Communities will also receive significant discounts off energy bills as communities receive extra cash for hosting windfarms, but it has been warned that changes to planning guidance could mark the beginning of the end for new onshore windfarm developments.
Under the new plans a medium-sized 20MW wind farm would yield benefits worth £100,000 per year or up to £400 a year off each household’s annual bill.
Local residents who live near a scheme run by RES at Meikle Carewe windfarm near Stonehaven will receive £122 off their electricity bills.
“Developing wind farms requires a significant amount of investment to be made upfront,” said Maria McCaffery, chief executive of RenewableUK.
“Adding to this cost, by following the Government’s advice that we should pay substantially more into community funds for future projects, will unfortunately make some planned wind energy developments uneconomic, so they will not go ahead and that is very disappointing.
“That said, we recognise the need to ensure good practice across the industry and will continue to work with Government and local authorities to benefit communities right across the country which are hosting our clean energy future.”
The proposed new planning guidance rules were unveiled by UK ministers on Thursday.
In Westminster, Conservative MP Chris Heaton-Harris welcomed the move and said the views of local communities and councils had been “ridden roughshod over” for too long.
The MP was caught in a Greenpeace sting last year apparently admitting to encouraging a rival candidate to stand in the Corby by-election on an anti-wind farm ticket,
He said: “For too long, developers have ridden roughshod over the views of local communities and local councils on inappropriately sited wind turbines
“There might have been some confusion within government departments about these matters, but I wholeheartedly welcome the planning changes. I really believe that this could be the beginning of the end of unwanted onshore wind farm development in England.”
Turbine protestor Lyndsey Ward said the announcement would be “welcomed with open arms” by people south of the border but people in the Highlands, Aberdeenshire and Moray would be left “reeling”.
She claimed there was “no protection from the ravages of onshore development” in this country.
Ms Ward of Kiltarlity near Inverness said: “This will signal the start of wind farm developers falling over themselves to cross the Scottish border where Alex Salmond has put out the welcome mat with no consideration for the people he professes to care about.”
Linda Holt of campaign group Scotland Against Spin claimed planning democracy was a “joke” in this country because virtually all onshore windfarms opposed by communities and councils are approved by SNP ministers.
“The UK Government wants to protect English landscapes and communities by moving future wind development offshore but the Scottish Government sees no end to the number of onshore turbines Scotland can take,” she added.
Ms Holt claimed Alex Salmond and his colleagues were ignoring the cries of local people while inviting foreign developers to “trash landscapes and harm communities”.
More than 4,000 turbines are in operation, with almost 6,000 under or awaiting construction or in the planning system. The industry attracted £1.6 billion in private investment in 2011/2012 and supported some 1,800 jobs.
UK Energy Secretary Ed Davey insisted that the Government remained committed to “appropriately sited onshore wind” as part of a diverse, low-carbon and secure energy mix.
The new measures demand a five-fold increase in what developers are expected to pay residents for allowing wind turbines in their local area, up from £1,000 per megawatt of installed power to £5,000.
A community agreeing to a medium-sized 20 megawatt wind farm that might involve around 10 turbines would receive a package of benefits worth £100,000 a year or seeing up to £400 cut from each household’s bill.
Mr Davey said: “It is important that onshore wind is developed in a way that is truly sustainable – economically, environmentally and socially, and today’s announcement will ensure that communities see the windfall from hosting developments near to them, not just the wind farm.
“We remain committed to the deployment of appropriately sited onshore wind, as a key part of a diverse, low carbon and secure energy mix and committed to an evidence-based approach to supporting low carbon power.”
A Scottish Government spokeswoman said it recommended community benefits of at least £5,000 per MW and provided support and advice for communities.
“In Scotland developers proposing wind farms above 20 MW are already required to consult communities for 12 weeks before making a planning application,” she added.
“Our new draft Scottish Planning Policy (SPP) is currently out for consultation until July 23 and we welcome all submissions.
“SPP seeks views on separation distance from villages, towns and cities in order to enhance protection from visual impacts.”
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