The role of planning has come to the fore in a series of seminars on expanding wind power generation of electricity

In the latest edition of Planning Theory and Practice journal, planning researchers, practitioners and developers talk about the role of planning in the expansion of wind power generation. 

The UK Renewable Energy strategy sets a target of generation 20 per cent of our electricity from wind power. This is a major challenge given the often painful experience for planners, local politicians,communities and developers alike of achieving our current low levels of wind generation.

But the pressure is on and UK national policy frameworks and decision-making procedures are changing rapidly. Despite the complexity of issues such as grid infrastructure, finance and technology,the focus of conflict keeps coming back to perceived problems with planning systems.

Reporting froma series of Economic and Social Research Council seminars organised earlier this year by Geraint Ellis of Queens University with colleagues from Cardiff, St Andrews, Aberdeen and Bath Universities, the journal’s Interface section explores these perceived problems with contributors representing a variety of sectors and nations.

The seminars directly engaged with the claim that planning is a barrier to the delivery of a more sustainable future. The counter argument is that planning systems provide the drawing board and the production floor on which society forges sustainable pathways. Their performance and outcomes are complex and more important than a permission count can reflect.

For example, it is argued that studies of the social acceptability of wind farms, which tend to highlight apparent contradictions in public opinion ascribed to irrationality, ignorance or indeed nimbyism, are simply not adequate.

Related key factors include insensitivity or ignorance on the part of developers and policy-makers with respect to the cultural significance of landscapes and how concerns about visual impacts can be tackled.

Meanwhile, issues over perceived or actual ownership of schemes and the distribution of benefits shape the level and nature of local opposition or acceptance. Ellis proposes that the issues for wind farm planning must be understood “not just in terms of the actions and inadequacies of objectors but in terms of the dynamics of debates, including the actions and arguments of the supporters of the scheme”.

In this context, planning has a critical role not simply in terms of regulation but also in terms of increasing social capacity to engage with wind power. Efforts to push through development consents with reduced public input may have perverse effects on the acceptance of wind power schemes.

Wind energy developer Richard Hadwin and Campaign to Protect Rural England’s Paul Miner make impassioned arguments to broaden the voice of the public in wind farm development, not constrain it.

Intriguingly, the relative success of the process of wind power development in Germany, where official development targets have been surpassed, is ascribed to an openness of the policy process to all stakeholders, including the industry, environmental campaigners and planning authorities.

This article is published in Volume 10(4) of Planning Theory and Practice (download article). To find out more about reduced subscription rates for RTPI members, please visit Planning Theory and Practice. 

Image by Barun Patro

Author:

Jenny Crawford

Publisher:

The Royal Town Planning Institute

Date:

27-Jan-10

Categories:

Espon, PERN, Planning Theory & Practice 

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