UK to ease solar and onshore wind planning rules

The UK Government is planning to change the rules to make it easier to build solar farms and wind turbines.

They want to raise the limits for when these projects need a more detailed planning review.

Currently, if a project generates more than 50 megawatts (MW), it is considered a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project (NSIP) and needs approval from the Secretary of State.

However, ministers note new technology means solar panels and wind turbines are more efficient, making the 50MW limit outdated.

The government proposes increasing the NSIP threshold to 100MW for wind projects and 150MW for solar projects.

This change will allow smaller projects to go through the local planning system, making the approval process faster and cheaper.

Evidence shows that the current 50MW limit causes problems, especially for solar projects.

Many are designed just below this limit to avoid long and expensive reviews.

The new limits aim to match the size and complexity of modern projects better.

Recently, the Secretary of State for Energy approved three large solar farms through the NSIP route: Gate Burton in Lincolnshire, Mallard Pass in Lincolnshire and Rutland, and Sunnica in Suffolk and Cambridgeshire.

Together, these projects are predicted to generate about 1.35GW, enough to power nearly 400,000 homes.