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Proposals to cut planning red tape a potential boost for renewables

4th April 2007

Communities Secretary Ruth Kelly today unveiled plans to slash planning red tape to make it easier for people to put green technology, such as solar panels and wind turbines - on their homes and play their part in tackling climate change.

In a speech to the Green Alliance, she launched a consultation which recommends that people will no longer need to apply for planning permission to put ‘microgeneration’ devices on their homes where it is clear there is little or no impact on neighbouring properties.

Ruth Kelly made clear that she wants local people to think carefully about which type of technology will work best in their local area. Local authorities will retain the right to restrict planning permission in exceptional circumstances where the benefit of the technology is clearly questionable and outweighed by its impact on the local environment.

Ruth Kelly said: “I believe that the local planning system should support efforts to tackle climate change rather than acting as a barrier, but it is important that we ensure that there are clear, common-sense safeguards on noise, siting and size and that the unique features of conservation areas are protected”.

In response Dave Sowden, Chief Executive of the Micropower Council said: “The current planning system says "no" unless there is a good reason to consider otherwise. In future it will say “yes” within properly considered, pre-defined limits. This will make a big difference to large numbers of customers wanting to take up microgeneration but put off today by bureaucracy and inconsistency.”

At present, there are more than 100,000 microgeneration installations across the country - including wind, water source or ground source heat pumps and bio mass. In the Energy White Paper, the Government will provide new incentives with the aim of raising eightfold the number of households which are producers as well as consumers of energy.

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