Greater freedom for Wind Turbine Development

Rollits` planning team is seeing more and more enquiries about small scale renewable energy proposals. Most relate to PV panel installation, but some householders and small business are looking seriously at wind turbine development. Currently, most domestic wind turbines require planning permission. However, from 1 December 2011, new permitted development rights ("PD Rights") will allow wind turbines complying with a prescribed specification to be installed, without the need for a specific grant of planning permission.

The rules differ slightly between wind turbines fitted to a detached dwelling or block of flats, and stand alone turbines. A brief summary of the main conditions for a turbine fitted to a detached dwelling are that it must:

1. be the only turbine on the building or within the curtilage;

2. not protrude more than three metres above the highest part of the roof (excluding the chimney), nor exceed more than 15 metres in height;

3. not be located within 5 metres of any boundary of the property;

4. not exceed 3.8 square metres in terms of swept area of any blade;

5. not be installed on any listed building, ancient monument, or, in certain circumstances, within a conservation area;

For stand-alone wind turbines the main conditions are generally the same as for attached turbines except that

(a) the highest part of the stand alone wind turbine can not exceed 11.1 metres in height; and

(b) any part of the stand alone wind turbine (including blades) must not be located in a position which is less than a distance equivalent to the overall height (including blades) of the stand alone wind turbine plus 10% of its height when measured from any point along the boundary of the property.

This article is for general guidance only. It provides useful information in a concise form. Action should not be taken without obtaining specific legal advice.