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What is an acceptable level of localised environmental impact to support renewable energy planning applications? Ray Williams explains why planning guidelines for renewable energy infrastructure need to be simplified and argues for an ‘acceptable level of localised environmental impact’ in planning guidance.

The UK has set legally binding targets to produce 15 per cent of its total energy requirement from renewable sources by 2020. This is a seriously ambitious target and one that will go a long way toward helping the UK transform its fossil fuel-based energy mix into a far more sustainable model. It is important to remember that those targets are not arbitrary – they are there as one of the UK’s contributions to combating global warming.

However, while the target is laudable, progress towards achievement is less so. According to the Department of Energy and the Environment’s energy digest figures, just 5.6 per cent of our energy requirement came from renewable sources in 2009.

At odds with the objective are the policies, and more importantly their interpretation, that govern planning approval for renewable energy developments.

On-shore wind farms and Anaerobic Digestion (gas from waste and other feedstocks) facilities in particular are often met by significant public opposition. It is up to local planning officials and the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government to arbitrate and make a final decision on approval or rejection. As it stands, Local Development Plans favour rejection – it is the easy answer to a very difficult, often emotive question.

According to the British Wind Energy Association, local council planning approval for wind farms fell to an all time low of 25 per cent in October 2009. Early indications are that A.D. plants are fairing rather better, especially where they utilise crops grown specifically for the purpose, rather than waste.

Quite simply, the low conversion rate of applications, allied to the long lead times needed for building means we are seriously compromising our ability to meet our own targets.

There are many reasons for rejection, but they are usually based on an element of adverse local environmental impact. For AD facilities, odour, proximity to houses and associated traffic are frequent reasons. For wind farms, visual impact is the most frequent reason for rejection, accompanied by noise, impact on biodiversity and inappropriateness of location.

Currently, the policies that govern building these developments are massively complicated and too open-ended. The guidance notes – planning policy statements – issued from central governm...