Written Ministerial Statement 9th April 2014:
The Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (Mr Eric Pickles): This coalition Government have reformed the planning process so that communities themselves have the opportunity to influence the decisions that affect their lives. We have abolished regional strategies, and their top-down renewable energy targets, and are encouraging local councils to work with their communities to set out in their local plan where developments for renewable energy should and should not take place. We have also been very clear that the views of local communities should be listened to.
We have published planning guidance to help ensure planning decisions on green energy get the environmental balance right in line with the national planning policy framework. The guidance is designed to assist local councils in their consideration of local plans and individual planning applications. In publishing the guidance, we have been quite clear that the need for renewable energy does not automatically override environmental protections and the planning concerns of local communities. We have also introduced a new requirement for compulsory pre-application consultation with local communities for more significant onshore wind applications—that is, of more than two turbines or where the hub height of any turbine exceeds 15 metres. This requirement took effect in December.
PP Guidance is here.
The compulsory pre-application consultation legal obligation is in Article 3A of the Town and Country Planning (Development Management Procedure) (England) Order 2010.
Subscribers to the paid-for Cardinal Tailored EHS Legislation Registers have the consolidated TCP (DMP) Order included as standard in the Land Management Register.
The PP Guidance on Appeals is also updated.
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