The new National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), published by the government, will make compliance with the UK’s climate commitments easier, according to trade body Solar Energy UK (SEUK).
In line with the Clean Power Action Plan published today (December 13), the new NPPF is firm on the urgent need to reduce carbon emissions, stating that planning authorities should “give significant weight to the benefits associated with renewable and low-carbon energy generation and the proposal’s contribution to a net zero future” when applications determine.
This will better align the framework with National Policy Statements (NPSs), which cover Nationally Important Infrastructure Projects (NSIPs). Adjustments mean that NPS EN-3 calls NSIPs “critical national priority”, and as such their “national security, economic, commercial and net zero benefits” should outweigh the consequences of their development.
The government also removed a provision added to the NPPF under the previous Conservative government that allowed local authorities to refuse permission for solar farms if they posed a threat to food production. It has been repeatedly proven that the development of solar energy has an impact on food security.
Chris Hewett, CEO of SEUK and co-chair of the UK solar taskforce led by Energy Secretary Ed Miliband, said: “This is a package of reforms that will strengthen the solar market, turning the dial further towards of decarbonization and energy reduction. accounts. It would also be useful to include further provisions on defining the ‘grey belt’.”
Changes to NSIP thresholds
As proposed earlier this year, the government has revised the capacity threshold that qualifies a project as an NSIP. Although the original consultation proposed making the threshold three times higher than it is now (150 MW instead of 50 MW), the new framework states that any solar energy generation project exceeding 100 MW will are referred to the State Secretary for a development permit (DCO).
The new threshold applies from the end of 2025. It also applies to onshore wind energy projects, in response to the tendency of municipalities to refuse plans for wind power plants.
The argument in favor of raising the threshold is that the application process for a DCO is more complex (and therefore more expensive) than that under the Town and Council Planning Act (TCPA).
As a result, projects tend to hover around a capacity of 49 MW, with projects in the 50-150 MW range not considered cost-effective by developers. The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) says the new proposal should address this.
Solar Energy UK pointed out that no solar developments with a capacity between 50MW and 99.9MW have been brought forward in England “due to the additional time and resources of the NSIP regime”, although 174 have been built or in the pipeline with a capacity of 49.9 MW. capacity.
In its response to the planning reform consultation, the government said the decision to increase the threshold was taken “primarily due to a higher threshold that better reflects technological progress in solar technology since 2008 when the original threshold was set. It is therefore unlikely that solar projects at the current 50 MW threshold will have a scale, impact or complexity commensurate with the use of the process of nationally significant infrastructure projects.”
However, as discussed in an article about Solar energy portalNSIP applications have a level of clarity that is not typical of TCPA decisions, and that can be inconsistent. Historically, TCPA denials have led to successful appeals due to inconsistencies in decision making, resulting in delayed projects and unnecessary private and public expenditures.
Under the new thresholds, Jonathan Stott, director of surveying firm Ardent Management, said there is little doubt that “some projects will be designed to fall below the threshold, meaning we will not maximize the potential of so many sites. ”.
In a post on LinkedIn, Stott said he is keeping his eyes peeled for an influx of 99.9MW of solar applications.
Hewett said that “given the pros and cons” the solar industry would be happy to settle for a 100MW cap, although this is less radical than the consultation initially suggested.
“Given that a bigger problem is the chronic understaffing of planning officers, we very much welcome the commitment to allocate £100 million to councils’ planning departments, which should make a real difference to decision-making,” Hewett concluded.
