Generating light on landscape impacts - Campaign to Protect Rural ...

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Return to contentsSummary3Climate change is one of the most pressingand complex issues we face today. It willhave a serious impact on our countryside,landscapes and rural communities.The decisions we make to mitigate climate change will have a lasting effecton the countryside. Alongside measures to address energy conservationand demand, CPRE believes we must choose an appropriate mix ofrenewable energy technologies and deploy them in a way which safeguardsthe countryside and protects valued landscapes. Onshore wind willundoubtedly play a role in any mix but questions remain over how muchcapacity we need from this source and where it should be located. Localcommunities increasingly feel that individual onshore wind applications,which are proliferating rapidly, are unconnected to any wider nationalrenewable energy strategy. They would find it easier to engage withindividual planning applications if the Government was clear about thenational contribution it wanted onshore wind to make.In this report CPRE argues that a locally accountable, strategically plannedapproach which takes account of landscape capacity and steers winddevelopment to the right places, will enable us to promote renewableenergy, including some onshore wind, while protecting cherishedcountryside. The report builds a case for such an approach by examininghow onshore wind proposals are currently being treated in the planningsystem. It uses local examples provided by our branch network andPlanning Inspectorate appeal decisions.To enable local communities and the planning system to protect theenvironment both from damaging development and the impacts of climatechange, we call on the Government to:• provide more clarity about the total number of onshore wind turbinesit expects to see built and where these might be located;•develop a strategic plan-led approach which recognises landscapecapacity, including cumulative impacts of onshore wind turbines;• ensure local planning authorities seek to protect landscape characterthrough their local plans and in planning decisions;•instruct the Planning Inspectorate to give significant weight whenmaking decisions on development proposals to any local plans whichhave attempted to identify appropriate and inappropriate areas foronshore wind development; and• require the onshore wind industry to take legal and financialresponsibility for decommissioning onshore wind turbines andrestoring the landscape once they stop working or when they reachthe end of their useful life.<strong>Generating</strong> <strong>light</strong> on landscape impacts: How to accommodate onshore wind while protecting the countryside
Return to contentsIntroduction41. Climate change poses a major threat to the character, quality anddiversity of England’s countryside. CPRE supports the Government’starget, enshrined in the Climate Change Act 2008, to reduce greenhousegas emissions by 80% by 2050 and source 15% of UK energy fromrenewable sources by 2020. Renewable energy, including onshore wind,will play an important role in helping to achieve our carbon reductiontargets. But because all forms of energy generation have a harmfulimpact on the landscape, and the environment more generally, the toppriority should be to focus on reducing the need for more infrastructureby setting and meeting ambitious energy efficiency and overall energydemand reduction targets.2. Decisions made today will have a lasting effect on the countryside.In pursuing our national carbon reduction and renewable energy targetswe must not ignore other important and established environmentalobjectives, particularly the protection of valued landscapes fromdamaging development. CPRE has done a considerable amount of workto analyse what impact different kinds of development have on thecountryside in terms of their intrusion and impact on beautiful places. 1Experiencing tranquillity in beautiful landscapes is beneficial to humanhealth and well-being, which is one reason why millions of people visitthe countryside every year. The quality of this experience is threatenedby poorly conceived and located development of whatever kind. It isclear that onshore wind development, unless appropriately sited, canhave a significant detrimental impact on the quality of the landscape.3. The location and extent of onshore wind development therefore needsto be carefully controlled. Local communities, interested in ensuringthat development in the countryside, including onshore wind, isappropriate and balanced, increasingly feel that individual onshorewind applications, which are proliferating rapidly, are unconnected to awider national renewable energy strategy. By having a clear idea of thenational contribution of onshore wind, communities would find it easierto engage with individual planning applications within the planningsystem. We should ensure that local communities feel genuinely able tohave an influence through the planning system, steering onshore windapplications to the right places.4. In 2011, the then Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change,Chris Huhne, reassured CPRE that efforts to tackle climate change didnot mean the Government would ‘wantonly plant wind farms across thecountry at random’ or let ‘market forces loose upon the countryside’. 2CPRE has consistently argued that a planning system which is locallyaccountable, adopts a strategic approach and takes account oflandscape capacity, should be able to promote renewable energy,including onshore wind, while protecting cherished countryside andimproving well-being. A locally accountable planning system alsohelps to reassure communities that development is appropriate andnecessary, rather than foisted on them through processes over whichthey have little control.CPRE supports theGovernment’s target,enshrined in the ClimateChange Act 2008, toreduce greenhouse gasemissions by 80% by 2050and source 15% of UKenergy from renewablesources by 20201Land Use Consultants, Developing anIntrusion Map of England, CPRE, 20072Secretary of State for DECC, Chris Huhne’sspeech to CPRE entitled ‘Beauty,Tranquillity, and Power Stations?’, 2011<strong>Generating</strong> <strong>light</strong> on landscape impacts: How to accommodate onshore wind while protecting the countryside
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