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utILItY WeeK | 13th - 19th June 2014 | 13 Special report in the UK. What we need is the planning pro- cess to allow that to come through in a timely and fair manner." Dale Vince, founder of Ecotricity, also spoke out aer Pickles refused the green energy supplier's Black Ditch project. He says: "We've worked diligently through the entire planning process, passed every test – including a public inquiry – only to have our application refused by a man who knows nothing on the subject. What faith can any- one have in the planning process when this can happen, when the rules are thrown out of the window on a whim?" Utility Week approached Pickles for an interview on his stance on windfarms. In response, the DCLG press office reissued a statement by communities minister Kris Hopkins saying: "Inappropriately sited wind turbines can be a blot on the landscape, harming the local environment and damag- ing heritage for miles around. We make no apologies for changing planning guidance to ensure that these issues are properly taken into account. Every appeal is considered with due process on its individual merits, based on the particular circumstances of the case." This message from on high is already hav- ing a devastating effect on windfarm plan- ning across the country, figures gathered by Renewable UK show (see box on planning approval rates, below). From 2010 to 2013, local authority approval rates in mainland Britain hovered around 60 to 70 per cent of sites. In the first five months of 2014, the numbers were reversed: more than two out of three applications were refused. (Northern Ireland has a more centralised planning sys- tem that yields higher approval rates.) The approval rate for England looks slightly better when measured by megawatt of installed capacity, going from 51 per cent in 2013 to 54 per cent in the first part of 2014, with some larger projects getting through. However, by that metric the situation looks even worse in Scotland, down from 61 per cent to 27 per cent, and Wales, down from 66 per cent to just 3 per cent. Pickles' rationale for calling in windfarm decisions is to make sure local authorities are following revised guidance on renewa- bles projects issued last July. However, Renewable UK director of external affairs Jennifer Webber says the interventions have more to do with politics than policy. Onshore windfarms are a bigger issue for the Conservatives than for any other UK political party. Nearly all wind developments are in rural constituencies and in England and Wales at least, most rural constituen- cies are Tory seats. Accordingly, Conservative MPs hear a lot from anti-wind groups and are more likely to oppose such projects than the public at large. Webber rejects the notion that Pickles is standing up for the voiceless, pointing to increased engagement and commitment to community benefits (the going rate is now £5,000 per megawatt of installed capacity). "In theory, things are a lot better for com- munities than they have been at any time," she says. "It is difficult to see this as a fully grassroots movement. Around each applica- tion there will be people who oppose it, but I cannot see a good reason for that to have gone up substantially in the periods we are talking about." Indeed, while onshore wind has its com- mitted opponents (Country Guardian lists more than 300 national and local groups), in general the sector enjoys strong popular- ity. Decc's latest public attitudes tracker put public support at a record high of 70 per cent. Other polls show that even Ukip vot- ers, commonly supposed to be anti-wind, are more likely to support than oppose development. Despite all this, the Conservative Party is hardening its stance against onshore wind. Energy minister Michael Fallon has indicated that if the Conservatives get a majority at the next election, they will scrap subsidies for new onshore windfarms. He says: "We now have enough bill payer-funded onshore wind in the pipeline to meet our renewable energy commitments and there's no requirement for any more." The UK is signed up to get 20 per cent of its energy from renewable sources by 2020 and onshore wind power is expected to contribute between 11 and 13GW. The Con- servatives calculate that if you add up all windfarms in operation, construction and consented (assuming 30 per cent drop off), you get to 12.3GW. Renewable UK says there is a risk other renewable technologies might not deliver on expectations and it makes no sense to limit onshore wind, which could potentially contribute more to the target. Webber points out "the world doesn't end in 2020" and the Committee on Climate Change is counting on 25GW of onshore wind in its models to meet the UK's 2030 carbon reduction target. The Conservatives also want to return decisions on large-scale windfarms to local control. At present, under the Planning Act, projects of 50MW or more are ultimately decided by energy secretary Ed Davey. Angus Walker, planning lawyer at Bir- cham Dyson Bell, comments in his Planning Act blog: "I think this is the first time the Planning Act has been used as a political tool, but it probably won't be the last. The proposal won't have much effect given the small proportion of onshore windfarms that the great windfarm intervention Communities secretary eric Pickles awarded himself the power to intervene in the planning process for renewable energy projects in October. the rationale was to make sure local authorities were "meeting the government's intentions" in applying new planning guidance issued last summer. What is his record? 39 number of wind projects Pickles has called in 419Mw total capacity of projects up for review 13 number of projects that have received a decision 11 number of projects refused. Five were against the recommendation of planning inspectors uK onshore wind pipeLine In planning 7,848 Approved 4,508 Under construction 1,800 Operational 7,260 0 5,000 10,000 15,000 20,000 25,000 Capacity (MW) 0 5,000 10,000 15,000 20,000 25,000 Capacity (MW) 0 5,000 10,000 15,000 20,000 25,000 Capacity (MW) 0 5,000 10,000 15,000 20,000 25,000 Capacity (MW) 0 5,000 10,000 15,000 20,000 25,000 Capacity (MW) the story By nuMBers