What To Do First?
- Find out Who Your local authority is if you don't know already
- Check out their website and lok for any special wind turbine planning policy
- Call them, anonymously if you wish, and ask them what their process if and what information they require to give planning permission for wind turbines
- Speak to your neighbours - they are your allies if the planning authority have any issues (see separate section on this below).
Who Needs Planning Permission for Wind Turbines?
Unless your planning authority has a policy on their website or is able to send you a document about their requirements, every wind turbine requires planning permission.
Why You Should Speak to Your neighbours
- Put yourself in their shoes, if they did something different to their land which you could see and didn't tell you, how would you feel?
- Most neighbours in today's modern world have the same worries about climate change as you do, you have lots of allies out there, who may be active supporters
- Conversely, it is also good to know people's concerns, they could become objections unless you discuss them and try and find a compromise.
- Although planning authorities are not allowed to reject your application based purely on neighbours objections, it will help to know if there are any when you apply.
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What Grounds Can Planning Authorities Reject Wind Turbines
Planning Policy Statement 22, which is Central Government guidance to planning authorities about micro generation schemes (including wind turbines) states that planners can only object on environmental grounds - Even in Conservation Areas or Areas of Outstanding National Beauty.
Planners are NOT allowed to object on technical grounds or wind production projections!
Environmental grounds include subjective things such as serious visual impact, serious noise and physical natural dangers to wildlife.
The BWEA (British Wind Energy Association) have many useful pages on these topics which be helpful to read.
Link to Planning Policy Statement 22
Link to BWEA
What To Do Now?
When you have found out about your planning authority's needs for wind turbine planning applications, pelase give us a call and we will be happy to help you take things further.
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