Top-down intervention in local renewable projects is hurting public support for them
In a new report, The Fabian Society describes how investors still do not feel safe investing in renewables because of a lack of community consent.
‘Transition By Consent’ emphasises that only by winning support from local communities can sustainable green energy solutions be delivered to the UK in the long term.
It finds that, although most of the public are supportive of renewable alternatives in theory, development plans are still failing to win consent. New analysis shows that 57 per cent of wind farm applications are being rejected, up from 37 per cent in 2013 and 21 per cent in 2008.
The report identifies a disconnect between national support for renewable energy projects and local consent for developments, which it calls the ‘Not In My Back Yard’ phenomenon.
The report adds that the communications secretary is making the market even more unpredictable with top-down interventions:
“Pickles has made a political intervention from Whitehall on 50 wind farm projects including pulling in every single ‘larger project’ of two turbines or more that has gone to appeal.
This intervention implies that the government is not taking the threat to renewable energy provision very seriously.”
Top down planning only works in the short term, the study finds, as opposition grows up in communities who feel they have been shut out of the planning process.
Looking at the developers who have had success, the report concludes that it is crucial to include the community as a partner in project design, and also to make the project in question more than just an energy proposition. Making a project benefit the community in other ways – new jobs or new Broadband proposals, for example – can increase public support for it.
The Fabian Society gives the example of the Olveston wind farm in Thornbury, where a ‘great deal of money’ was spent but the project ultimately failed to take off because it did not have the support of the local community.
Tidal Lagoon in Swansea Bay, however, shaped its project with the community’s participation. It found high levels of concern about local employment opportunities, and so designed a project with a variety of promising career paths in such fields as construction, tourism and mariculture. The report states that it is important to tailor each project to local needs in this way.
As far as government responsibility goes, it is time for ministers to stop making top down decisions, and instead help developers to transition to renewables by popular consent.
Ruby Stockham is a staff writer at Left Foot Forward. Follow her on Twitter
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13 Responses to “57 per cent of wind farm applications are turned down”
swat
Its these Tory dominated planning Committees that are turning down qite reasonable applications.
Dave Stewart
It’s telling how communities are about to shut down windfarms apparently fairly easily but when it comes to saying no to fraking the government try to change the law so they don’t need to even ask permission to drill under your house. The Tories have no interest in the environment and are clearly only interested in business as usual regardless of the consequences for future generations.
ForeignRedTory
I find myself unable to agree with the positions taken here.
Transition is a MUST, and if anything, I would expect Central Government to make it very clear that failure to support Transtition will not be tolerated. There may be a relatively brief list of valid reasons to opopose, such as projects that will cost more energy than that they save, but that is about it.
CONSENT for Transition? Does Climate Change wait for consent?
Leon Wolfeson
Ah yes, those evil people with different views, treason. Opposition must not be tolerated. It’s special, like all the other times someone does not agree with your exact views.
Guest
The reality is that telling people their energy bills must double and more over the next half a decade for part-time power in return is always going to create at least some hostility.
Rather than building nuclear power plants, where the costs would go to energy generation and not company profits to a far greater degree.