Government’s plans fail to deliver on unblocking onshore wind, charities warn
A group of charities, led by climate charity Possible and including Uplift UK, Greenpeace, WWF and Friends of the Earth, have responded to the government’s onshore wind consultation to express their concern that the government’s proposed changes to the virtual ban on new onshore wind would fail to actually unblock this vital source of clean power in England.
In their response, the charities expressed their concern and disappointment that the government has refused to remove the planning blocks on new wind, instead opting for minor changes to the wording that will not allow the expansion of clean energy that is needed to tackle the energy cost crisis and the climate crisis.
New polling conducted by YouGov for the Warm this Winter coalition has shown that 83% of people would like to see the government do more to shift the UK away from energy generated from oil and gas and towards energy generated by renewables. 50% of people think that there should be more planning restrictions on oil and gas projects than renewable projects, while 28% of people think that there should be the same planning restrictions on all types of energy, regardless of their impact on the climate. Just 10% of people agree with the government’s current approach of having more planning restrictions on new onshore wind than on new fossil fuels projects.
Onshore wind and solar are highly popular across the country. 77% of people think the government should use new wind and solar farms to reduce electricity bills and 76% of people support building renewable energy projects in their local area. Conservative voters are particularly supportive, with 81% of 2019 Tory voters supporting a renewable energy project in their area.
Onshore wind projects have had a uniquely restrictive planning system imposed on them since 2015 when new wind projects were essentially banned in England. For years campaigners have been trying to get the government to unblock onshore wind. With the energy crisis erupting in 2022, there were renewed calls for such action in order to help bring down energy prices and insulate the UK from volatile gas markets.
In December 2022 it was announced that there would be a consultation on onshore wind to review how local authorities could demonstrate local support for projects. However, once it was launched, campaign groups realised that the suggested amendments within the consultation were incredibly weak, and would not actually allow new onshore wind projects to come forwards in England.
Campaigners are now calling for the government to end the uniquely restrictive planning system which applies to onshore wind, for there to be a taskforce and deployment roadmap for onshore wind, and to ensure all planning policy is aligned with the goal of tackling the climate crisis.
Alethea Warrington, campaigner at climate charity Possible, said:
“While the government wastes time tweaking the wording of the virtual ban on onshore wind, households and communities across the UK continue to face unaffordable energy costs - and the escalating impacts of the climate crisis. It’s past time to end the ridiculous planning system which makes it easier to open a new coal mine than get new onshore wind in England. The government should get on with the job of making the UK’s energy system clean, cheap and secure, and unblock wind.”
Tessa Khan, director of Uplift UK, said:
“With the energy price crisis at the root of so many of the problems we're experiencing, it is utterly astonishing that this government is still delaying the development of one the cheapest sources of energy we have, onshore wind. Millions of households are in fuel poverty, bills are set to rise again in a month, and yet there is no plan for fixing the UK's broken energy system.
"The only way we're going to permanently lower energy bills is to get off gas by accelerating renewables, which we're lucky enough to have in abundance, and through upgrading homes with better insulation and heat pumps. Other countries are doing it and bringing down bills, so why can't we? This government needs to get on with it."
ENDS
Notes to editors:
For the polling results and consultation response document please click HERE.
YouGovDirect interviewed 2,193 people between 1-2 February 2023. Results were weighted to be representative of the GB population.
For media enquiries and further information please contact press@wearepossible.org or 07806431577.
Alethea Warrington, campaigner at climate charity Possible, is available for comment. Please contact press@wearepossible.org for more information.
Possible is a UK-based charity that brings people together to take positive, practical action on climate change. Combining individual and local actions with larger systemic change, we connect people with each other, and communities with ways to address the climate crisis. wearepossible.org.