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Onshore wind applications in England reach highest level in a decade
About 45 applications were submitted in the year to March, and the 12-month average rate rose to roughly 36MW a month by the beginning of this year.
Onshore windfarm applications in England reached their highest annual level in a decade, driven by a policy shift that removed a long-standing effective barrier to new projects, according to an analysis of government data by The Guardian Business.
The outlet reported that roughly 45 applications for new onshore windfarms were submitted in the year to March. It also found that capacity entering England’s planning system has more than tripled since Labour moved quickly after taking office to lift restrictions on onshore developments.
The analysis said the rate before Labour’s election victory averaged about 9MW a month on a 12-month rolling basis, but climbed to about 36MW a month by the beginning of this year. It noted applications had averaged around 1MW a month in the months before September 2023, when Conservative ministers began loosening regulatory red tape on onshore wind.
The Guardian Business pointed to the Imerys project near St Austell, Cornwall, as the largest onshore windfarm in England to secure a government subsidy since the ban was lifted earlier this year. It also reported that the average proposed windfarm in England since the lifting has had two turbines delivering 8MW, compared with an average of nine turbines and 59MW in Scotland.