Together, we’re standing up for onshore wind
Since the then government put an effective ban on onshore wind back in 2015, Possible has been campaigning to undo it. We’ve shown that the public support onshore wind, debunked the myths that got it banned in the first place, raised public support from MPs across the political spectrum, and proven that onshore wind projects must be a vital part of achieving our climate goals, cutting energy bills, and creating jobs across the country.
It’s been an uphill battle, but last September, we celebrated a win. In response to public and political pressure to lift the ban on onshore wind, the government finally agreed to change the National Planning Policy Framework in ways that, they said, would make way for onshore wind.
But - as we warned at the time - it was just noise.
The updated planning policy, continues to place unworkable and unnecessary restrictions on onshore wind projects and has failed to result in a single new application for new onshore wind in England.
So today, over a dozen organisations have joined us in writing to the UK government’s Department for Levelling Up, Housing, and Communities (DLUHC) and the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) to raise our concerns.*
“The government claims to have lifted the ban on new onshore wind in England, but six months later it’s clear that they’ve done no such thing. Not a single new project has come forward as a result of the minor tweaks made to a planning system which remains rigged against this clean, cheap and popular source of energy. It’s past time to truly lift the ban so that communities across the UK which want wind can get it, cutting energy bills and carbon emissions and helping to end reliance on expensive, volatile and dirty gas.” Ali Warrington, Possible.
Planning rules still fail to permit new onshore wind projects to come forward in England, even in communities where projects have support. And the ongoing de facto ban is not just standing in the way of the UK achieving its vital climate targets, it is also preventing households across the country from accessing cheap, secure energy.
This is not acceptable.
We teamed up with organisations and coalitions including Community Energy England, Uplift, the End Fuel Poverty Coalition, Friends of the Earth, Sharenergy, Greenpeace UK, Regen, Fuel Poverty Action, Warm This Winter and the RSPB to stand up for onshore wind.
"The best way to bring down the price of electricity is to get more renewables onto the grid, to avoid the extortionate cost of energy generated by gas-fired power stations. If the Government doesn't speed up the process of building more renewables, then it will fail to bring down energy bills and it will fail to improve energy security." Simon Francis, End Fuel Poverty Coalition.
“The government said it wanted to open up onshore wind in England where there were ‘supportive communities’. What it has actually done, which is full of ambiguities and difficult hurdles, has not increased the possibility of onshore wind happening in either the commercial or community sector. Many Community Energy England members would dearly like to do onshore wind. Very few of them, as cited in the letter, feel it is worthwhile progressing projects under the current planning regime.” Emma Bridge, Community Energy England.
Will you stand with us?
Fill in the form below to send your MP an email asking them to do what they can to unblock onshore wind for good!
*Read more about our open letter here.