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Planning
Planning on the Island has no existing policy directives in place for renewable energy development. Also the existing regulations stop it being possible for any large scale planning application to be made.
Current Planning Regime
- Current planning policy, encapsulated in the Strategic Plan presumes against development in undesignated areas (General Policy 3).
- The countryside is protected for its own sake (Environment Policy 1)
- In areas of High Landscape or Coastal Value and Scenic Significance (‘HL, CV and SS’) the character and quality of the countryside is the most important consideration in the determination of development proposals (Environment Policy 2).
- The designation of HL, CV and SS are being replaced by the Landscape Character Assessment where in all but one landscape character type (the Broad Lowland Valley), tall, vertical structures are presumed against.
- There is therefore a planning policy position where sizeable renewable energy installations in the countryside will be presumed against when applying Energy Policy 4 (RE installations will be judged against the environmental objectives and policies set out in the Plan)
Possible Routes to Permit Renewables
- Overriding National Need in land use planning terms for which there is no reasonable and acceptable alternative as defined in General Policy 3g.
- Government approved document confirming onshore renewable energy installations are acceptable required.
- An “other material consideration” which can be referred to in the determination of applications, according to Town and Country Planning Act 1999 Section 10(4)(d).
- National Policy Directive produced under the Town and Country Planning Act 1999 Section 2A (page 9) for renewable energy (which is required to be issued prior to 01/01/2025 under the Climate Change Bill).
- The Climate Change Bill direction that planning policy is amended to allow policy to take account of climate change policies specified in the Act (specifically the minimising of greenhouse gas emissions) is undertaken and the development could be seen to accord with that.
Timeline
Wind turbine development predicted timeline (months). The timeline is subject to completion ecological surveys, manufacture lead-times and transportation onto the Island.
