Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether the new considerations on proposed wind energy developments issued on 18 June 2015 apply to local planning authorities that (a) do not have local plans and (b) have local plans that do not contain policies relating to renewable energy.

The new considerations set out in the Written Ministerial Statement of 18 June, HCWS42, apply to all wind farm applications, including single turbine applications and, subject to a transitional provision, should be taken into account by all local planning authorities in relevant planning decisions. The transitional provision relates to where a valid planning application for a wind energy development had already been submitted to a local planning authority when the statement was made and the development plan does not identify suitable sites. In such instances, local planning authorities can find the proposal acceptable if, following consultation, they are satisfied it has addressed the planning impacts identified by affected local communities and therefore has their backing.