Labour Government updates onshore windfarm policies

In 2015, the Conservative Government introduced new rules surrounding the development of onshore windfarms, which many consider to have created a de facto ban on these projects. Strict rules were created, setting a higher bar than is set for other forms of development, including a requirement that the development has proven to have ‘community support’. In essence, this meant that a single planning objection could result in an onshore windfarm project not receiving approval. These rules were introduced into the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) in 2018 as footnotes 57 and 58.

Since taking power on 4 July 2024, the Labour Government has already taken steps to undo the strict regime via amendments to the NPPF, making onshore windfarms a viable option for energy providers once again. Their policy statement confirms that onshore windfarms will be treated the same as any other energy development and that they will consult on bringing large onshore proposals into the Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project (NSIP) regime, so that quick progress can be made.

In addition, the Government has also made it a core mission to double onshore wind deployment by 2030, and to support this ambition they have created an Onshore Wind Industry Taskforce, led by Ed Miliband (Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero) and Matthieu Hue (CEO of EDF Renewables), whose key aim is to ensure that the UK meets the 2030 target. This taskforce will identify any financial, regulatory or policy challenges which are impacting the provision of onshore windfarms, consider any sustainability impacts and will seek to bring together any relevant bodies to tackle these challenges and capture the benefits that can be brought by onshore windfarms.