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BWEA Press Release

Saturday 8th March 2008

Govt gives green light to micro wind

New regulations to be introduced to relax planning rules for small & micro wind projects

BWEA the trade association representing the UK's micro and small wind industry today welcomed the Govt's decision to relax planning rules for onsite household & business wind turbines.

The Govt plans to allow householders & businesses to install wind turbines with a diameter of up to 2m, without having to get planning permission from local councils.

Alex Murley BWEA Small Systems Manager said "Planning is one of the major blockages to providing onsite renewables for homes and business" he added "thousands of applications are stuck in the planning process, this reform will make it much easier for consumers to supply their own clean, green energy."

The Govt is introducing a new regulation as part of its reform of the planning system, the General Permitted Development Order (GPDO), to relax planning red tape for local renewable energy. Micro wind has passed the first stage of being included in the new guidance having won UK Government approval from DCLG, it now has to be referred to the EU for final ratification before coming into force in the Autumn, along with approvals for air-source heat pumps.

Notes to Editors

  • The British Wind Energy Association is the trade and professional body for the UK wind and marine renewables industries. Formed in 1978, and with over 310 corporate members, BWEA is the leading renewable energy trade association in the UK. Wind has been the world's fastest growing renewable energy source for the last seven years, and this trend is expected to continue with falling costs of wind energy and the urgent international need to tackle CO2 emissions to prevent climate change
  • Micro- and Small-wind is still an emerging technology and thus still requires the necessary government support so to capitalize on current potential, none the less Micro- and Small-Wind is the only microgeneration industry in which the UK leads the world.
  • The micro & small wind industry has worked with Government DCLG, BERR, DEFRA, to deliver the new GPDO proposals for wind.
  • Micro & small wind systems are defined as though capable of generating 50kw or less of energy.