Developing local partnerships for onshore wind in England
Applies to England
Download the full outcome
Detail of outcome
This consultation sought views on improvements that could be made to the existing system of community engagement and community benefits for onshore wind in England.
Proposals included:
- formally embedding best practice principles of community engagement into official planning guidance
- working with the onshore wind industry and other stakeholders to update the Community Benefits Protocol for Onshore Wind in England
The majority of respondents to the consultation supported these proposals and government intends to take these forward.
Feedback also indicated that more could be done to provide clearer signals to communities and industry on the expectations of a community benefits process, so we also intend to:
- take ownership of the Community Benefits Protocol and publish it as official guidance on GOV.UK. This will provide the whole of the onshore wind industry with clear expectations on community benefits and give greater certainty to communities
- provide supporting information and case studies on community benefits to help upskill local communities and streamline the community benefits process, including setting out the instances in which developers could provide additional support to communities
- develop a mechanism for the onshore wind industry to formally sign-up and endorse the updated Protocol, which will provide greater trust and transparency for communities
- consider establishing a public community benefits register that can capture details of community benefit packages, to allow communities to compare offers and drive best practice
These measures will ensure there is a comprehensive regime in place where communities have their voices heard and can enjoy the benefits of hosting onshore wind projects.
Detail of feedback received
We received 76 responses to this consultation from a variety of stakeholders, broken down as follows:
- industry – developers, operators, suppliers, legal and consultancy – 27 responses (36%)
- local government – including local authorities or associations and town or parish councils – 16 responses (21%)
- public and commercial representation – including charities, advocacy groups and industry bodies or trade associations – 16 responses (21%)
- private citizens – 9 responses (12%)
- community energy groups – 4 responses (5%)
- academia – 3 responses (4%)
- consumer retail goods – 1 response (1%)
Original consultation
Consultation description
In the British Energy Security Strategy, the government committed to develop local partnerships for onshore wind in England, enabling supportive communities who wish to host new onshore wind infrastructure to directly benefit from doing so.
This consultation is seeking views on:
- improving the way developers and communities engage when an onshore wind site is proposed in a local area
- whether improvements can be made to the system of community benefits, so that communities directly benefit from cheap, clean, secure power
We welcome responses from anyone with an interest in the policy area, but the consultation will be of particular interest to:
- those considering the development of new onshore wind in England
- English planning authorities and representative planning bodies
- electricity traders and suppliers
- consumer, community and environmental groups with an interest in the renewable electricity sector
Documents
Last updated 15 February 2024 + show all updates
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Government response published.
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First published.