Further to our Call for Action we have received some further information from the Scottish Government. As you know, our Petition to the Scottish Parliament calls on them to urge the Scottish Government to adopt English planning legislation for the determination of onshore wind farm developments (which would allow all wind energy schemes to be determined by local planning authorities irrespective of size). The Scottish Government has now agreed to Consult on raising the 50MW threshold.
The letter from the Scottish Government to the Petitions’ Committee states:
As part of the Scottish Government’s commitment to explore the scope
for planning authorities to determine more applications for onshore
windfarm developments, this consultation invites stakeholder views on
whether the current threshold of 50 megawatts (MW) should be raised.
This threshold determines the requirement for consent from the Scottish
Ministers for the construction, extension or operation of an electricity
generating station. A change to the threshold could allow planning
authorities to determine more applications for electricity generating
stations, such as on-shore windfarms. In addition, the consultation asks
whether different thresholds should apply to different types of electricity
generating stations, and what the resource implications from this change
would be. Views are invited on proposals by 31 May 2024, and
thereafter responses will be considered further
Alongside this, following a report from the Electricity Networks
Commissioner, the UK Government has agreed with the Scottish
Government that the Scottish energy consenting system needs to be
reformed, and the governments are working on a range of proposals for
consultation next year. In scope of consideration is the need for formal,
pre-application requirements for energy consents, which may include
increased early participation and engagement for communities in energy
infrastructure proposal.
Please do take the time to respond to this Consultation and give your views. https://scotlandagainstspin.org/2024/03/urgent-call-for-action-please-respond-to-this-consultation/?fbclid=IwAR2uczU-IchsTo3IAqFzvLMyPPgzxzjaqjqOO_V2t0v-8Bb2NrLmA8AXiFw
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