Supplementary memorandum submitted by
the Association of Electricity Producers
1. The Association was pleased to give evidence
to the Committee on 27 January. At the session, we undertook to
provide further information on planning applications for onshore
wind farms in England and Wales.
2. The number of wind farms in the planning system
and their relative size varies by month and year. Based on figures
supplied by the British Wind Energy Association, we understand
that at the time of writing there are 2,568 MW (112 projects)
of onshore wind farms in the planning system in England and Wales.
Ten of these projects (total capacity 1,058.5 MW) are over 50
MW in size and would thus fall to the Infrastructure Planning
Commission (IPC) for determination had they been submitted under
the new Planning Act regime.[2]
3. Projects over 50 MW therefore currently
account for 41% of the onshore wind capacity in the planning system
in England and Wales, but only 8.9% by number of projects.
4. At the time of writing, the IPC's Programme
of Anticipated Projects identifies five onshore windfarms over
50 MW that might apply for consent before the end of 2010.[3]
5. The Committee also requested information
on consenting rates for planning applications submitted to local
planning authorities. Approval rates in England in 2009 were 29%
of schemes and 25% of capacity, down from 57% of projects and
63% of capacity in 2007. In Wales, approval rates were 80% of
projects and 95% of capacity in 2008, although only five decisions
were made in that year.[4]
6. Please do not hesitate to contact the
Association if you require any further information.
February 2010
2 See http://www.bwea.com/ukwed/index.asp Back
3
See http://infrastructure.independent.gov.uk/?page_id=202 Back
4
British Wind Energy Association, Wind Energy in the UK: State
of the Industry Report, October 2009. Back
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