renewable energy and protected landscapes – a conflict of ... · a look at the national picture...

Chilterns Renewables Conference

Renewable Energy and Protected Landscapes – A conflict of interests?

A look at the national picture

Lyndis ColeLand Use Consultants (LUC)

5th October 2011


NATIONAL POLICY CONTEXT

Renewable Energy• The Climate Change Act 2008 set the UK transition to a low

carbon economy, with legally binding targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 80% by 2050, and by at least 34% by 2020, both against 1990 base levels.

The EU Renewable Energy Directive 2009 set a legally binding target of 15% of energy from renewable sources by 2020.

The UK Renewable Energy Act 2008 twin aims to reduce CO2 and ensure secure, clean and affordable energy set the path for the UK. It strengthened the Renewables Obligation and enabled the introduction of feed in tariffs.


NATIONAL POLICY CONTEXT

Feed in TariffsFeed in Tariffs (FITs): DECC mechanism to encourage households,

communities, businesses and organisations to engage in the energy market, encouraging investment in small-scale low carbon electricity generation.

9th June 2011 announced tariff reductions for large-scale and all stand alone PV developments over 500kw and increased tariff for farm-scale AD plants (up to and including 500kw).

Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI): To be introduced Autumn 2012 to provide financial support for individuals, communities and businesses to switch to renewables for heating, such as wood fuel.

Renewable Heat Premium Payment Scheme now running - £12m available to householders in Scotland, England and Wales installing from 1 August 2011. Those in receipt of the Renewable Heat Premium Payments will be able to apply for the full RHI tariff support once the scheme introduced in Autumn 2012,


BIOMASS BOILERS AND ANAEROBIC DIGESTION PLANT


CALCULATING CARBON SAVINGS


PROTECTED LANDSCAPES – A HIERARCHY OF OPPORTUNITY FOR RENEWABLE ENERGY

Protected landscapes as a model of sustainability – the SDF and LEADER Projects. Within protected landscapes the most appropriate renewable sources will be (from most to less appropriate):

1. Renewable and low carbon energy sources that offer significant carbon reductions, have limited landscape impacts AND can help meet wider protected landscape objectives e.g. biomass and use of Anaerobic Digesters (AD).

2. Renewable and low carbon energy sources that have limited landscape impacts e.g. building-mounted solar systems, micro-hydro and ground and air source heat pumps.

3. Renewable energy sources that do have an impact on the landscapebut deliver high long term carbon savings e.g wind energy. (Natural England’s ‘Making Space for Renewable Energy’ NE 254 – “presence of statutory protected landscapes will substantially reduce the degree to which wind energy development can be accommodated”).


BUILDING MOUNTED SOLAR PV SOLAR HOT WATER AND MICRO-HYDRO


THE ‘TRAFFIC LIGHTS’ APPROACH TO RENEWABLES –BLACKDOWN HILLS AONB


EXAMPLE OF SUMMARY ASSESSMENT


LANDSCAPE SENSITIVITY ASSESSMENT: WIND ENERGY DEVELOPMENTS


LANDSCAPE SENSITIVITY ASSESSMENT: FIELD-SCALE SOLAR PV


Landscape Sensitivity Assessment: mapping results (small wind)


Landscape Sensitivity Assessment: mapping results (large wind)


Landscape Sensitivity Assessment: mapping results (v.small solar)


Landscape Sensitivity Assessment: mapping results (large solar)


Landscape Sensitivity Assessment: presenting results (wind)


LANDSCAPE SENSITIVITY ASSESSMENT: PRESENTING RESULTS (WIND)


LANDSCAPE SENSITIVITY ASSESSMENT: PRESENTING RESULTS (SOLAR PV)


SENSITIVITY STUDIES: Alternative Strategies for wind energy

More recent studies have gone on to convert sensitivities to wind energy developments to alternative wind energy strategies for different landscape character areas, with strategies potentially ranging between:

•A wind farm landscape•A landscape with wind energy development•A landscape with occasional wind energy developments (single turbines and small clusters up to and including large-scale turbines)•A landscapes with occasional wind energy developments (single turbines or small clusters up to and including medium-sized turbines)•A landscape with single small-scale turbines•A landscape with very occasional, very small-scale turbines•A landscape without wind energy developments


DRAFT NATIONAL PLANNING POLICY FRAMEWORK

152. To help increase the use and supply of renewable and low-carbon energy, local planning authorities should:

• have a positive strategy to promote energy from renewable and low-carbon sources

• design policies to maximise renewable and low-carbon energy development while addressing adverse impacts

• identifying suitable areas for renewable and low-carbon energy sources

• support community-led initiatives for renewable and low carbon energy taken forward through neighbourhood planning; and

• identify opportunities where development can draw its energy supply from decentralised, renewable or low carbon energy supplysystems


DRAFT NATIONAL PLANNING POLICY FRAMEWORK

153. When determining planning applications, local planning authorities should apply the presumption in favour of sustainable development and:

• approve the application if its impacts are (or can be made) acceptable. Once opportunity areas for renewable and low-carbon energy have been mapped in plans, local planning authorities should also expect subsequent applications for commercial scale projects outside these areas to demonstrate that the proposed location meets the criteria used in identifying opportunity areas.

renewable energy and protected landscapes – a conflict of ... · a look at the national picture...

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