This report, funded by the European Climate Foundation, examines five issues that project developers and planners have told us are the key challenges for the planning system for renewables and storage in England. In this insight piece, we draw out the major issues faced by the local planning system in England and the reforms required to support our net zero goals.
Key takeaways
There is a lack of priority for renewables within the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) and local plans
Local planning authorities are struggling due to under resourcing and high staff turnover
There is a lack of clarity on when planning permission should be refused due to the character of the area
Onshore wind deployment has completely stalled
Communities are not being sufficiently engaged on clean energy projects
The volume of planning applications for renewable energy projects of all scales in England has more than trebled in the last decade and must yet rise significantly if we are to meet our net zero targets. However, the local planning system is not able to effectively process clean energy projects at scale. Funded by the European Climate Foundation, Regen has written this paper to explore how to improve the local authority level planning system for renewable energy and storage projects.
To gather insight for this report Regen has engaged with renewable energy developers and local authority planners to identify the current challenges and solutions to local planning for clean energy. We have also carried out analysis of renewable energy planning data sources, including the UK government’s Renewable Energy Planning Database and local authority policies and planning applications.
Key takeaways
80% of people surveyed by DESNZ in its public attitude survey said they support renewable energy
4.2 MW of onshore wind has become operational in England since the start of 2020, compared to over 100 MW of capacity in Scotland and Wales
38% of local planning authorities in England will have a local plan that is more than 10 years old by the end of 2025
Why planning needs to be a priority
In this critical election year, both the government and the Labour Party have set ambitious targets to decarbonise our electricity system. To meet these ambitions, renewable generation, grid capacity and storage will need to be delivered at scale and speed. The volume of planning applications for renewable energy projects of all scales in England has more than trebled in the last decade and has risen notably in recent years. The government’s plan to address barriers to connecting to the grid is likely to lead to a further rise.
The ability of our planning system to effectively process clean energy projects at scale will, therefore, be vital to meeting our zero-carbon power targets. This short paper focuses on the local planning system in England and the key challenges and reforms required to support our net zero goals.
Figure 1 The volume of planning applications for renewable energy projects of all scales in England hasmorethan trebled in the last decade
Lack of priority for renewables within the NPPF and local plans
The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) does not give sufficient priority to ensuring that our clean energy targets are being delivered at the local level. Net zero is not mentioned within the NPPF and the policy wording on renewable energy is weak, particularly compared to the prioritisation given to NSIPs through the new Critical National Priority (CNP) designation. As a result, many local authorities’ renewables planning policies are not reflecting or giving appropriate weight to the level of renewable energy need.
"Planning policy needs radical reform to support net zero. The planning system must have an overarching requirement that all planning decisions must be taken giving full regard to the imperative of net zero."
- Climate Change Committee 2023 progress report to Parliament
Local planning authorities are under resourced
Challenges with recruiting and retaining planners in local planning authorities are significantly impacting the planning system for renewable and storage projects. Working conditions for public sector planners have worsened and more are moving to the private sector. At the same time, local planning authorities’ budgets have reduced. Local plans are also increasingly out of date, meaning that many local authorities’ renewables policies do not reflect the latest sector developments.
Figure 2 More planners are moving to work in the private sector, yet the total number of planning applications being submitted has remained relatively consistent
Regen has heard directly from local planning authorities about the challenges faced in retaining and recruiting staff.
These include:
Issues with low pay, increasing workloads, lack of career progression and worsening conditions
Recruitment of poor-quality candidates due to lack of applicants
Pressure on performance and speed leading to a reduction in time on, and care with, applications
Officers not being given sufficient time on applications
Lack of in-house specialists.
These issues have made local authority planning a less desirable profession, creating ongoing and unresolved resourcing challenges. In addition, public spending per planning application in England halved between 2010 and 2019, while the overall number of applications (of any type) submitted remained largely consistent. This has contributed to the overall workload challenges faced by local planning authorities in England, reducing the time available to be spent on individual applications.
Figure 3 Public spending per planning application in England halved between 2010 and 2019
Planning refusals for onshore renewables are often based on the character of the area
‘Area character’ is a broad term for the landscape or features of the area surrounding the proposed development. This in an important concept to protect landscapes that are valued by local people However, an absence of clear policy direction creates uncertainty for developers when or where area character may become a challenge for renewables projects. It is also important that the impact of a project on the character of an area is balanced with the potential future detrimental impacts of climate change on the landscape.
Local authority refusals for battery applications mention ‘area character’ above all other reasons, appearing in 67% of all refusals since 2020, while 25% of all refusals for solar projects under 50 MW since 2019 mention ‘area character’, closely followed by ‘agricultural land harm’ and ‘heritage harm’. This suggests a need to review how area character is being considered and if policies are clear enough on the balance between the character of an area and the need to address climate change. Fire risk is also becoming an increasing concern for industry, decision makers and the public, due to public concerns, outdated existing guidance and a lack of awareness regarding the technology and fire safety mitigation measures.
Figure 4 Local authority refusals for battery applications mention ‘area character’ above all other reasons, appearing in 67% of all refusals since 2020
Onshore wind development has completely stalled
In 2015, planning restrictions were introduced for onshore wind in England. The policy change required local authorities to allocate suitable areas for onshore wind and for proposals to demonstrate that they addressed all community concerns and had community backing. This policy change effectively ended the development of onshore wind in England, as developers were unwilling to risk the development capital to take applications through a planning system weighted towards refusal. Since 2016, only 16 turbines on new sites have been granted planning permission in England. The policy was updated in 2023; however, these changes did not go far enough in removing the restrictions and have not led to a significant increase in projects being developed.
Since the policy change in 2015, only 36 local authorities have adopted policies allocating areas for onshore wind. Of those 36, some include tight restrictions such as only allowing very small turbines. Research identified that resource and time constraints have prevented more local authorities from allocating areas. There is also a strong preference from local authorities for the requirement to allocate areas for onshore wind to be removed. If national policy restrictions were removed, there is already significant interest from developers and community energy organisations to develop more onshore wind.
Communities are not being sufficiently engaged on clean energy projects
The public is very supportive of clean energy. This support must be maintained as we increase renewable energy deployment. We need clearer communication with the public on the wider changes to our energy system, along with higher standards of community engagement for individual projects. Community benefit packages that respond to the needs of individual communities, as opposed to a one-size-fits-all approach, are key.
DESNZ has published guidance on community engagement for onshore wind developers to support them in following and building upon best practice in community engagement. This highlights the importance of starting engagement early, reaching the whole community and ongoing engagement through the project’s development and operational life. We need such guidance for other technologies and to ensure there is goodquality information available for the public to inform their judgements.
Research also shows that communities having a share in ownership of renewable energy can increase local acceptance. In 2015, the coalition government set up a Shared Ownership Taskforce that produced a protocol for developers to follow in offering communities the opportunity to invest in projects. However, this was not taken forward by subsequent governments.
Summary of recommendations
This report identifies five key recommendations for the planning system in England:
The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) should update the NPPF to prioritise net zero and renewable energy
DLUHC should review pay, working conditions and career progression for local authority planners to address persistent resourcing challenges
DLUHC should update the NPPF to ensure a balance between landscape protection and the need to address climate change
Political parties should make a manifesto commitment to remove the additional restrictions for onshore wind, set out in footnote 58 of the NPPF
DESNZ should publish best-practice guidance on community engagement and benefits for all onshore renewables and take forward the findings of the 2015 Shared Ownership Taskforce.
We urge the future government to adopt these recommendations to ensure that the planning system for renewables and storage projects no longer impedes project development, while at the same time ensuring that communities remain at the heart of these projects and decisions.
