A growing number of local communities across England are being drawn in to accepting offers of ‘goodwill payments’ from wind farm developers. Countryside campaigners CPRE [1] are today calling on the Government to take action to stop this practice from bringing the planning system into disrepute.

This call is backed by a new survey of this growing practice issued today. CPRE has found that:

• the sums involved are a fraction of the amount that the developers are making from the public, as electricity consumers, in subsidies;

• the payments are often used for purposes such as lunch clubs and sports pitches, which bear no relation to providing much-needed renewable energy; and

• local authority planners have little or no oversight of these payments.

Paul Miner, CPRE’s Senior Planning Campaigner, said: ‘These offers of community benefit do not go through the proper procedures of the planning system, unlike similar offers from most other developers.

By accepting them, communities may also be getting a worse deal than they would if wind farm developers were made to offer them through the planning system.’

CPRE’s investigation [2] has found:

• at least 35 cases, including at least one in every English region, of ‘goodwill payments’ being either offered to, or accepted by, local communities;

• three major wind farm developers – E.ON, npower renewables, and RES Limited, are routinely offering ‘goodwill payments’ in connection with every new development;

• in some cases ‘goodwill payments’ are being used for things that, however worthy in themselves, bear no relationship to renewable energy, such as children’s play areas and senior citizens’ lunch clubs;

• parish councils, whose involvement in planning applications is enshrined in law, have been directly approached with offers of payments or have been prevented from coming to a view on a proposed wind farm because offers have been made to individual members; and

• the rate of payment typically being offered is less than half than what two councils in Scotland are already insisting on from new wind farms in their area.

CPRE will be working with members of the House of Lords to press for amendments to the Planning Bill [3] to:

• outlaw the offering of goodwill payments in connection with any new development;

• make wind farm developers liable for the Government’s proposed new Community Infrastructure Levy; and

• earmark proceeds of the levy from new wind farms to go towards small-scale renewable energy, district heating and/or countryside improvement schemes in local communities.

CPRE is also calling on the Government to resist calls from the industry to take decision-making on most wind farm schemes away from local councils and give them to an unelected Infrastructure Planning Commission [4].

Paul Miner concluded:

‘CPRE supports the need to increase investment in renewable energy, including wind energy. But “goodwill payments” threaten to bring the planning system into disrepute and are questionable even on the grounds of the need for more renewable energy. We believe that the solution is to outlaw these payments completely. Energy companies should be required to work through the planning process in the same way as any other developer.’

– END –

NOTES FOR EDITORS

1. CPRE, the Campaign to Protect Rural England, is a charity which promotes the beauty, tranquillity and diversity of rural England. We advocate positive solutions for the long-term future of the countryside. Founded in 1926, we have 60,000 supporters and a branch in every county. President: Bill Bryson. Patron: Her Majesty The Queen. www.cpre.org.uk

2. CPRE’s briefing Goodwill Payments – Do they benefit communities or bring planning into disrepute? provides full details of our investigation of the issue. The appendix to the briefing gives full details of local cases that we are aware of. Figures 1-4 in the briefing respectively give more details of statements by leading developers; the issue of unrelated benefits; the involvement of parish councils; and the policies of councils in Scotland.

3. The Planning Bill was considered by the House of Commons during the 2007-8 Parliamentary session. It is now being considered by the House of Lords. Committee sessions in the House of Lords began on 6 October. It is expected that the House will consider the Government’s proposals for a new Community Infrastructure Levy in the week beginning 13 October or thereafter. At present the clauses in the Bill relating to the Levy do not directly address the issues of ‘goodwill payments’ or how the Levy might be applied to renewable energy development more generally. CPRE is supporting amendments to address these points.

4. Clauses 14, 15 and 30 of the Planning Bill allow for planning decisions on energy generating stations with a capacity of over 50 megawatts (MW) to be taken by an Infrastructure Planning Commission (IPC) rather than the Secretary of State as they are at present. In addition, Clause 34 also allows the Secretary of State to refer a proposal for any energy generating scheme below 50 MW to the IPC, thereby taking the decision out of the hands of the relevant local authority. CPRE, as part of the Better Planning coalition of environmental organisations, opposes the provisions in the Bill that give the IPC decision-making powers, as we believe that democratically accountable Ministers or local councils should be responsible for planning decisions.

Is the Government refusing to listen or does Natural England need to turn up the volume? This is the question the Campaign to Protect Rural England [1] is asking, two years after the Government’s official adviser on landscape and wildlife was set up.

Across a range of policy areas, the Government appears uninterested in hearing about the importance of the natural environment, the core business of Natural England. This is despite earlier Ministerial aspirations that the body would be a ‘powerful and independent’ voice for the natural environment. [2]

‘On aviation and airports, road building, renewable energy and the planning process, government policy appears to be giving too little weight to Natural England’s advice,’ said Tom Oliver, Head of Rural Policy at CPRE.

In particular:

• Aviation: the Government’s recent decision to expand the number of fights from Stansted [3] will inflict additional pollution and noise on the surrounding population and countryside, including the unique and beautiful medieval Hatfield Forest. 

• Road building: the Department for Transport continues to pump huge sums of public money into a programme of road schemes [4], which would shatter the tranquillity of the countryside, destroy valuable wildlife habitat and make carbon reduction targets more distant than ever.

• Renewable energy: Natural England’s response to the Government’s draft Renewable Energy Strategy [5] rightly questions the assumption by the former Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory reform (BERR) that protection of the natural environment is an obstacle to action on climate change. Natural England also challenges the Government to look beyond a narrow policy or reliance on large amounts of onshore wind energy. We hope that Ed Miliband, the new Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, will heed this advice.

• Planning: with the Planning Bill, which threatens to reduce the influence of local authorities and the people who elect them, it is less clear whether Natural England is briefing Ministers clearly enough on the danger to democracy and the environment which the Bill represents. And there is still a long way to go before Natural England can achieve a consistency across the country in terms of its role as a watchdog for landscape. [6]

• Agriculture: only in the case of the role of farming in protecting landscape and wildlife has the Government managed to deliver adequate funding to allow Natural England to achieve its core objectives. But even here, questions arise over the pressure on Natural England to expand its remit without further funds to match. [7]

Tom Oliver continued:

‘Natural England has a critical role in helping Government to make wise decisions on the environment.  Unless the Government really listens to Natural England, the nation risks losing its fabulous inheritance of landscape and wildlife through bad decisions.'

Tom Oliver concluded:

‘While Natural England needs to make sure it is defending landscapes and wildlife for everyone, the Government has a lot to prove before CPRE will have confidence that it is taking enough notice of the very organisation it set up to do this crucial task.’

– END –

NOTES FOR EDITORS

1. CPRE, the Campaign to Protect Rural England, is a charity which promotes the beauty, tranquillity and diversity of rural England. We advocate positive solutions for the long-term future of the countryside. Founded in 1926, we have 60,000 supporters and a branch in every county. President: Bill Bryson. Patron: Her Majesty The Queen. www.cpre.org.uk

2. The Government insisted throughout the legislative process that Natural England would be an independent and trenchant champion of the natural environment. When introducing the legislation to set up Natural England on 6 June 2005, Margaret Beckett, the then Secretary of State for the Environment said that Natural England should be an ‘independent and powerful guardian of our natural heritage’. On 30 March 2006, Margaret Beckett re-emphasised, ‘The Act sets up Natural England as a powerful champion for the natural environment’.

3. The Government approved the proposal to increase the cap on passenger numbers at Stansted by 40% the same week that the Climate Change Commission recommended a cut in emissions by at least 80% by 2050 and that trends in international aviation should be considered in deciding whether this target needed to be raised further.

4. Regions are making recommendations for the funding of transport schemes up to the middle of the next decade as part of the Regional Funding Allocation process.  The majority of the funds are likely to be allocated to outdated road schemes, many of which will damage the countryside, for example the Kingkerswell Bypass in Devon and the Shrewsbury North Western ‘Relief’ Road. Other immensely damaging schemes, such as the Weymouth Relief Road have already been given Government approval.

5. The Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform published the UK Renewable Energy Strategy (RES) consultation paper on 26 June 2008. The RES is intended to deliver the UK’s share of a forthcoming European Union Directive to produce 20% of EU energy from renewable sources by 2020.

6.  Natural England’s ability to understand threats to the landscape and to protect it where appropriate has been inconsistent.  The organisation has promised to resolve this but two years’ on, there is still much to be done. In the mean time, some projects are not being adequately appraised by Natural England.

7. Although the money allocated to green farming schemes has to cover a daunting range and scale of issues, including nationally designated wildlife sites and landscapes, public access to the countryside, historic landscapes and enhancing all farmland for wildlife and public enjoyment, Natural England has now been given additional tasks to take further action to protect natural resources such as water and respond to climate change.  There has been no new money to achieve these additional tasks.

The Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) [1] welcomes Lord Turner’s first report as Chair of the Committee on Climate Change [2] published today (Monday 1 December).

The Committee recommends that wind power contribute over 20% of electricity generation by 2020, having concluded that other renewable technologies, such as wave or tidal power, are not sufficiently developed to deliver on time. Andrea Davies, senior campaigner for CPRE, said:  

‘We urge the Government to place greater emphasis on offshore wind and use the planning system to steer the location of onshore wind in order to avoid damaging impacts on valued landscapes.’

The Committee also recommends that planned demonstration projects for Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) should go ahead as soon as possible, which might be interpreted as a green light for a Kingsnorth coal power plant in Kent. Andrea Davies commented:

‘Tough CO2 emission performance standards should be in place before any new coal power plants, such as Kingsnorth, are built – otherwise, the Government risks pulling the carpet from under its own feet in seeking to meet its goals on climate change.’

Finally, the Committee’s recommendations on aviation emissions mean that a radical rewrite of Government policies is required:  Andrea Davies said:

‘Specifically, we want Ministers to refuse planning permission for the third runway at Heathrow and the second runway at Stansted and reverse the decision to allow 10 million more passengers a year at Stansted.’

Andrea Davies concluded:

‘This is a golden opportunity to show that the Climate Change Act will have a real impact on national policy-making. It’s time for the Government to give real leadership.’

– END –

NOTES FOR EDITORS

1. CPRE, the Campaign to Protect Rural England, is a charity which promotes the beauty, tranquillity and diversity of rural England. We advocate positive solutions for the long-term future of the countryside. Founded in 1926, we have 60,000 supporters and a branch in every county. President: Bill Bryson. Patron: Her Majesty The Queen.

2. The report ‘Building a Low Carbon Economy: the UK’s Contribution to Tackling Climate Change’ was published today by the Committee on Climate Change.

Responding to the publication today (Tuesday) by the Government of a new policy Planning for Prosperous Economies [1], countryside campaigners, CPRE [2], warn that the draft policy could foster indiscriminate growth at the expense of the environment and countryside.

Kate Gordon, CPRE’s Senior Planning Officer said:

‘While parts of the draft policy are very positive [3], these are undermined by other aspects. We need to move away from the “business as usual” model which led us to where we are now.  

A more discerning approach to economic development should recognise the role the planning system can play in moving towards a low carbon and resilient economy. The emphasis on growth, adopting a more flexible approach to planning, expanding retail and office floor space will make these objectives hard to achieve in practice. The policy also fails to recognise the role of land-based enterprises and their contribution to our quality of life and environment.

Kate Gordon concluded: ‘The last thing we need is “growth at any cost”. The environment must be at the heart of our future prosperity.’

– END –

NOTES FOR EDITORS

1. The consultation paper on a new Planning Policy Statement 4: Planning for Prosperous Economies, is published by Communities and Local Government. This is a significant policy since it will set out national guidelines on decisions covering the allocation and use of land and buildings for shops, warehouses offices, industry and a wide range of other uses.  It will replace current policies on retail (PPG6), planning for industrial development (PPG4) and aspects of PPS7 (Sustainable Development in Rural Areas). The draft policy takes forward some of Matthew Taylor’s recommendations (Living Working Countryside, 2008) with regard to the rural economy and Kate Barker with regard to the proposed replacement of a retail needs test with a retail impact test (Review of Land Use Planning, 2006).

2. CPRE, the Campaign to Protect Rural England, is a charity which promotes the beauty, tranquillity and diversity of rural England. We advocate positive solutions for the long-term future of the countryside. Founded in 1926, we have 60,000 supporters and a branch in every county. President: Bill Bryson. Patron: Her Majesty The Queen. www.cpre.org.uk

3. Aspects of the policy we welcome include: the statement that ‘economic development in open countryside away from existing settlements, or outside areas allocated for development in development plans, should be strictly controlled’; the emphasis given to the ‘sequential approach’ which gives priority to developing and re-using land and buildings within settlements – an approach long advocated by CPRE – and a policy on protecting village and local centres.

The Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, the Rt Hon Ed Miliband MP, has responded to a set of challenging questions on energy and the landscape from the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) [1]. The Q&A has now been posted online and members of the public are invited to join in the debate.

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Notes for Editors

Get involved! The initial questions and answers can be accessed at www.cpre.org.uk/debates. CPRE is now inviting the public to add their questions to the blog. Ed Miliband will be responding at the end of July.

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Ed Miliband clarified his controversial statement that it should ‘be socially unacceptable to be against wind turbines in your area – like not wearing a seatbelt or driving past a zebra crossing’. He now acknowledges that ‘local communities do have an important role’ and that ‘there are some places where wind farms may not be suitable’. He also says that new energy infrastructure in National Parks and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty could only be justified ‘in exceptional circumstances’.  

In answers to other questions, Mr Miliband refuses to rule out more opencast coal mining, but he does reaffirm his commitment to fitting all new coal power stations with Carbon Capture and Storage[2].

Welcoming the opportunity to discuss issues directly Ed Miliband said:

‘The contribution our countryside makes to the well-being of the whole country is as important now as ever – and we know that protecting the countryside from the devastating impacts of climate change is one of the greatest challenges we face.  Thank you CPRE for giving me the chance to talk with your members.’

Shaun Spiers, CPRE’s Chief Executive said:

‘We are delighted that Ed Miliband has agreed to address the very difficult question of how to get the energy infrastructure the country needs in order to keep the lights on and combat climate change, without unacceptably damaging the countryside. How can we save the environment without trashing the landscape?

‘These questions aren’t going to go away. They are asked every time a new wind farm is proposed. And communities asked to accept intrusive new renewable energy infrastructure such as wind farms will ask how serious the Government is about reducing greenhouse gas emissions when it is still prepared to allow carbon intensive opencast mining.

‘Energy debates are highly complex. On wind farms, it often seems that there is no debate – just impassioned arguments from both sides with neither side listening to the other. CPRE is clear that we need to act now to combat climate change and that this will mean a big increase in renewable energy. Onshore wind farms have a role to play – but only where they will not cause unacceptable damage to the countryside and where they have been subject to proper democratic planning scrutiny. 

‘We see this blog as the start of a discussion with the Government on these very important issues. We hope that as many people as possible, both CPRE members and the wider public will participate. We look forward to seeing Ed Miliband’s final response and congratulate him on having the confidence to start the debate.’

– END –

NOTES FOR EDITORS

1. CPRE, the Campaign to Protect Rural England, is a charity which promotes the beauty, tranquillity and diversity of rural England. We advocate positive solutions for the long-term future of the countryside. Founded in 1926, we have 60,000 supporters and a branch in every county. President: Bill Bryson. Patron: Her Majesty The Queen. www.cpre.org.uk

2. This is a technology which can capture carbon dioxide emissions from the burning of fossil fuels and safely store these emissions underground for extended periods of time.

A renewable energy revolution in the UK is long overdue – that is the view of the Campaign to Protect Rural England, National Trust and the RSPB as they respond to the Government’s Renewable Energy Strategy.

The three organisations have issued a joint statement recognising the devastating impact climate change will have on the UK’s landscapes and wildlife and pledge their support for ‘rapid and deep cuts’ in greenhouse gas emissions.
 
Together they have backed the drive to generate 15 per cent of the country’s energy from wind, wave, sustainably sourced biomass and solar power by 2020, while protecting its natural and historical environment.

All three welcome the Government’s proposal for a strategic approach to renewables planning and for extra investment in the planning system to cope with the expected rise in planning applications.

The statement reads: “A renewable energy revolution in the UK is long overdue. We look forward to working with Government to ensure this takes place within the timescale needed to tackle climate change; that it happens in harmony with the natural and historic environment and respects sensitive landscapes; and that harnesses the support, skills and enthusiasm of local people and communities.”

Shaun Spiers, Chief Executive of the Campaign to Protect Rural England, said:
 
“We strongly welcome the Government's commitment to listening to local communities when deciding on renewable energy infrastructure. Plans for renewable energy should reflect local choices about what mix of technologies is appropriate and where infrastructure should be located. We also support the Government's plans for a properly resourced planning system, which can make publicly credible decisions on the strategic siting of renewables.
 
“CPRE supports a major increase in renewable and low carbon energy generation, alongside an equally major reduction in energy consumption. But there will be no public consent for renewable energy infrastructure if it is centrally imposed or causes great damage to the beauty and tranquillity of England's countryside.”

Peter Nixon, Director of Conservation at the National Trust, said:

"The National Trust is already taking positive and practical action to save energy and is replacing polluting fossil fuels with renewable sources of heat and power across many properties.  We have 123 installations in place to help reduce carbon emissions, supported by our energy partner, to include ‘green’ technologies such as solar panels, biomass boilers and air source heat pumps with more initiatives planned.

“Climate change is already having a significant impact on the properties and landscapes in our care.  We support the Government’s renewable energy strategy which recognises the value of the UK’s natural environment and landscapes and the crucial role planning has to play in safeguarding these assets.  Much more needs to be done to reduce overall energy demand and boost local energy generation to help safeguard the UK’s wildlife, countryside and heritage for future generations.”

Ruth Davis, Head of Climate Change Policy at the RSPB, said:

“We must harness our abundant wind, wave and solar energy to avoid the dangerous climate change that threatens our wildlife. At the same time, we must protect the environment from the blight of bad developments.

“It is a difficult balance and the only way to succeed is through a properly planned approach with a strong lead from Government.

“Many of the proposals in this strategy promise to deliver a sustainable energy revolution. The RSPB will work with this and future Governments to help ensure we can have the renewable energy we need and the wildlife we love.”

1. New power stations are often contentious due to their scale and their environmental and visual impacts. The Government has recently reformed how we plan for nuclear and conventional power stations, renewables, electricity transmission lines and other major infrastructure. This has been one of the most controversial changes to planning in over 60 years and these changes will come into force next week.

2. CPRE believes that these reforms risk undermining public engagement in planning, threaten our finest countryside with pylons and new power stations, and represent a missed opportunity to help planning deliver the infrastructure we need in a democratic and fair manner.  

3. The Planning Act 2008 established a new planning system for major infrastructure projects such as power stations, airports, reservoirs and waste treatment works. The legislation introduces National Policy Statements (NPSs) and a new quango called the Infrastructure Planning Commission (IPC). Three key events next week mean it is an important time for the future of energy generation and the countryside. CPRE is concerned that unless significant changes are made to the NPSs and the Government keeps to its promises the negative environmental impact of new energy infrastructure will be great.

Last opportunity to influence planning framework for energy?
Consultation deadline Monday, 22 February

4. The draft National Policy Statements on energy set out in detail the responsibilities of applicants, and set strict limits on what the IPC is empowered to consider. Although the IPC can take existing planning policies and regional and local plans into consideration, NPSs will take precedence in the case of contradictions. Six energy NPSs are currently being consulted on; the deadline for submitting responses to all of these is next Monday 22 February.

5. CPRE supported the development of NPSs in principle on the basis that they would be developed through genuine public debate. This has not been the case. The energy NPSs consultation and scrutiny process has taken place at a pace dictated by the Government’s desire to deliver economic growth, rather than by engaging the public and securing a degree of public consent over the way forward. This is evidenced by the very short notice given for public meetings on the proposed nuclear sites which resulted in low turnout at the meetings . Only 34 people attended the consultation meeting in Hartlepool, for example, which was held only four days after the draft nuclear NPS was published. The public consultation period also coincided with both the Christmas holidays and Copenhagen climate negotiations; and an accelerated timetable was set for parliamentary scrutiny.

6. CPRE believes that the lack of effective public engagement will result in public opposition when major energy developments are considered by the IPC, possibly leading to judicial review and even direct action.

7. On top of the lack of public consultation, CPRE’s consultation response identifies the following issues that will need to be rectified before the documents are finalised:

• NPSs should not assert an unlimited need for new energy generation. Integrating and reconciling different demands to achieve the best use of land – the proper role of planning – is impossible if infinite need is considered against finite environmental resources such as wildlife, tranquillity and natural beauty. NPSs should be redrafted to establish how much of each technology the Government believe is needed in relation to security of supply and emissions targets.
• NPSs are unlikely to work effectively as Planning Policy Documents. The draft NPSs are little more than simple regulatory checklists, which lack the coherent spatial vision that could help to deliver sustainable development. NPSs should give a stronger steer on spatial criteria to decision-makers, and the Government should clarify how NPSs will fit into the existing town and country planning framework.
• The guidance in the draft NPSs on how the IPC should consider local impacts is totally insufficient. Getting the right balance between national need and local adverse impacts will be one of the IPC’s biggest challenges. At present, it is difficult to imagine how negative local impacts could ever outweigh national need as currently expressed in the NPSs.

Future of Britain’s electricity networks
- Parliamentary report to be published Wednesday, 23 February 2010

8. As part of its role, the IPC will determine planning applications for major new electricity transmission lines. A report on the future of Britain’s electricity networks is expected to be published by the Energy and Climate Change Parliamentary Select Committee on 23 February. Existing networks need to adapt in response to future changes in the generation mix with huge implications for the countryside.

9. CPRE’s written evidence to the inquiry highlighted concerns that the Committee’s emphasis on addressing renewable energy targets, security of supply and climate change goals, risked ignoring other environmental goals, such as minimising damage to our finest countryside. CPRE would like to see an integrated vision which addresses both the urgent need to upgrade the grid and the need to protect the countryside from intrusive pylons.

10. To achieve this, CPRE believes that the remit of Ofgem should be widened to consider the most sustainable methods of developing the network to address both climate change and landscape impacts. We hope that this is addressed in the Committee’s report. We also believe that there needs to be more support for undergrounding, both of new lines and of the 200km or more of high voltage overhead lines that pass through some of our most important landscapes, such as the Peak District and South Downs National Parks.

CPRE, working in partnership with the Campaign to Protect Rural Wales, Campaign for National Parks and National Association for Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, is campaigning for the visual impacts of transmission lines to be minimised wherever possible. The existing situation could be worsened by transmission reinforcement plans being considered by National Grid and supported by the draft NPSs. This could lead to at least twelve new lines of overhead pylons, altogether stretching over at least 170 miles of countryside.

Infrastructure Planning Commission begins to accept planning applications
Monday, 1 March 2010

11. The IPC was launched in October 2009 but to date it has not been able to accept and consider any planning applications. From 1 March developers will be able to submit applications for planning permission to the IPC who will only be able to make recommendations to Ministers regarding whether or not to grant planning permission until the NPSs are finalised.

12. No NPS has yet been finalised, leaving the IPC to base its recommendations on existing national guidance, which may be out of date and will need to be found from a wide range of sources; and draft NPSs, which may contain significant flaws. Until the NPSs are finalised, the IPC will operate without coherent guidance on Government policy, which may lead to damaging or inconsistent recommendations. The energy NPSs are closest to being finalised, but are unlikely to be designated prior to the General Election. Other NPSs, including the airports NPS and national networks NPS, which will cover rail and trunk roads, have yet to be consulted on, leaving a lengthy period between when the IPC begins to consider applications and when it receives guidance on how to consider these.

13. The IPC's role is to weigh national need against local impact. Local impact reports, which should be prepared by local authorities and submitted to the IPC, will be essential in aiding the IPC in its decisions. It is of great concern to CPRE that the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) does not intend to publish guidance on local impact reports, despite commitments from Ministers to do so.

14. In response to a Parliamentary Question by Paul Truswell MP on 21 January, the Minister, Ian Austin MP, stated that ‘It is for local authorities to decide what is relevant for inclusion in a local impact report and Government do not intend to publish guidance on what they should contain.’ Yet, during the passage of the Planning Act 2008, the then Minister in the Lords, Baroness Andrews, made a commitment that guidance would be published. The Earl of Caithness asked Baroness Andrews to advise on how the Government will help local authorities with the preparation of this report, and whether there would be guidelines so that the reports will be consistent. In response, she said: ‘…[W]e will certainly put out guidance and take early action with local authorities to ensure that they understand the process. This is an important question, because so much will rest on their understanding of what this offers their planning procedures.’

15. CPRE believes that the Government should work with local authorities to publish guidance on minimum standards for local impact reports as a matter of urgency to ensure that local environmental, social and economic impacts are fully considered by the IPC when considering planning applications.

• NPSs should not assert an unlimited need for new energy generation. Integrating and reconciling different demands to achieve the best use of land – the proper role of planning – is impossible if infinite need is considered against finite environmental resources such as wildlife, tranquillity and natural beauty. NPSs should be redrafted to establish how much of each technology the Government believe is needed in relation to security of supply and emissions targets.
• NPSs are unlikely to work effectively as Planning Policy Documents. The draft NPSs are little more than simple regulatory checklists, which lack the coherent spatial vision that could help to deliver sustainable development. NPSs should give a stronger steer on spatial criteria to decision-makers, and the Government should clarify how NPSs will fit into the existing town and country planning framework.
• The guidance in the draft NPSs on how the IPC should consider local impacts is totally insufficient. Getting the right balance between national need and local adverse impacts will be one of the IPC’s biggest challenges. At present, it is difficult to imagine how negative local impacts could ever outweigh national need as currently expressed in the NPSs.

Future of Britain’s electricity networks
- Parliamentary report to be published Wednesday, 23 February 2010

8. As part of its role, the IPC will determine planning applications for major new electricity transmission lines. A report on the future of Britain’s electricity networks is expected to be published by the Energy and Climate Change Parliamentary Select Committee on 23 February. Existing networks need to adapt in response to future changes in the generation mix with huge implications for the countryside.

9. CPRE’s written evidence to the inquiry highlighted concerns that the Committee’s emphasis on addressing renewable energy targets, security of supply and climate change goals, risked ignoring other environmental goals, such as minimising damage to our finest countryside. CPRE would like to see an integrated vision which addresses both the urgent need to upgrade the grid and the need to protect the countryside from intrusive pylons.

10. To achieve this, CPRE believes that the remit of Ofgem should be widened to consider the most sustainable methods of developing the network to address both climate change and landscape impacts. We hope that this is addressed in the Committee’s report. We also believe that there needs to be more support for undergrounding, both of new lines and of the 200km or more of high voltage overhead lines that pass through some of our most important landscapes, such as the Peak District and South Downs National Parks.

CPRE, working in partnership with the Campaign to Protect Rural Wales, Campaign for National Parks and National Association for Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, is campaigning for the visual impacts of transmission lines to be minimised wherever possible. The existing situation could be worsened by transmission reinforcement plans being considered by National Grid and supported by the draft NPSs. This could lead to at least twelve new lines of overhead pylons, altogether stretching over at least 170 miles of countryside.

Infrastructure Planning Commission begins to accept planning applications
Monday, 1 March 2010

11. The IPC was launched in October 2009 but to date it has not been able to accept and consider any planning applications. From 1 March developers will be able to submit applications for planning permission to the IPC who will only be able to make recommendations to Ministers regarding whether or not to grant planning permission until the NPSs are finalised.

12. No NPS has yet been finalised, leaving the IPC to base its recommendations on existing national guidance, which may be out of date and will need to be found from a wide range of sources; and draft NPSs, which may contain significant flaws. Until the NPSs are finalised, the IPC will operate without coherent guidance on Government policy, which may lead to damaging or inconsistent recommendations. The energy NPSs are closest to being finalised, but are unlikely to be designated prior to the General Election. Other NPSs, including the airports NPS and national networks NPS, which will cover rail and trunk roads, have yet to be consulted on, leaving a lengthy period between when the IPC begins to consider applications and when it receives guidance on how to consider these.

13. The IPC's role is to weigh national need against local impact. Local impact reports, which should be prepared by local authorities and submitted to the IPC, will be essential in aiding the IPC in its decisions. It is of great concern to CPRE that the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) does not intend to publish guidance on local impact reports, despite commitments from Ministers to do so.

14. In response to a Parliamentary Question by Paul Truswell MP on 21 January, the Minister, Ian Austin MP, stated that ‘It is for local authorities to decide what is relevant for inclusion in a local impact report and Government do not intend to publish guidance on what they should contain.’ Yet, during the passage of the Planning Act 2008, the then Minister in the Lords, Baroness Andrews, made a commitment that guidance would be published. The Earl of Caithness asked Baroness Andrews to advise on how the Government will help local authorities with the preparation of this report, and whether there would be guidelines so that the reports will be consistent. In response, she said: ‘…We will certainly put out guidance and take early action with local authorities to ensure that they understand the process. This is an important question, because so much will rest on their understanding of what this offers their planning procedures.’

15. CPRE believes that the Government should work with local authorities to publish guidance on minimum standards for local impact reports as a matter of urgency to ensure that local environmental, social and economic impacts are fully considered by the IPC when considering planning applications.

- END -

NOTES FOR EDITORS

1. See the response to Mark Williams' question on the attendance figures for the nuclear consultation events, HC Deb, 13 January 2010, c1049W
2. PRE has made a map of these threats:
> Campaigns: Electricity pylons and overhead wires: Campaign update
3. Planning Bill, House of Lords 3rd Reading,  18 Nov 2008 : Column 1019

In response to a new Environment Agency report into potential locations for hydropower energy generation, Dustin Benton, Senior Policy Officer, says:

“Although this report identifies 26,000 locations where it would be possible to generate small-scale hydroelectric power, it quite rightly points out that only 5,000 of these sites have low environmental sensitivity. The report appears to have taken a responsible and measured approach in weighing up the numerous environmental and practical impacts of any new hydropower plant and this is to be applauded.

“It’s worth remembering that any site recommended in the report would still need to be consulted on and be subject to the local planning process. It is important that local people get to have a say about the design of possible schemes, and their impact on tranquillity and countryside character.

"If designed well, small scale hydro has low impacts on the countryside and can play a valuable role in helping rural communities to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. I hope the report helps to generate interest in sustainable, local energy production at suitable sites across the country.”

End

Notes to Editors

1.CPRE, the Campaign to Protect Rural England, is a charity which promotes the beauty, tranquillity and diversity of rural England. We advocate positive solutions for the long-term future of the countryside. Founded in 1926, we have 60,000 supporters and a branch in every county. President: Bill Bryson. Patron: Her Majesty The Queen. www.cpre.org.uk

2.CPRE launched 2026 - A Vision for the Countryside in May 2009, setting out a positive and optimistic vision for the future of the beautiful English countryside in 2026, the charity’s centenary year. The Vision’s key issues include: affordable, high quality housing; urban regeneration; Green Belts; better planning; green energy; local food and farming; quality of life; light pollution and valuing the countryside as a national asset.

The Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) today (Wednesday) calls for close attention to be paid to an ambitious report that proposes to make Britain carbon neutral by 2030 [1], and particularly its implications for the countryside.

The report, ‘Zero Carbon Britain 2030,’ published by the Centre for Alternative Technology, rightly puts energy reduction at the heart of their proposals. These include plans to refurbish buildings for energy efficiency, to travel less but use public transport more, and to put land use planning at the heart of how we design places to be both good to live in and good for the environment.

Dustin Benton, Senior Policy Officer for CPRE, says: “Many policies which are good for the climate are good for rural character and natural beauty too. Measures to preserve peat and grasslands will cut emissions while benefitting wildlife and people. Proposals for an offshore energy grid powered by marine renewables show how we can keep the lights on while protecting our most valuable landscapes.”

However, CPRE is not convinced by all the report’s suggestions. Proposals to convert nearly 10 per cent of agricultural land to grow biofuels for transport in the context of a 70 per cent reduction in overall agricultural land use is likely to mean that many landscapes would move from the familiar pattern of hedgerows and pastures to miscanthus and woodland. CPRE believes that decarbonising Britain will require a reduction in intensive livestock farming and a change to the way that we consume. But we must be careful not to undercut a rural economy increasingly focused on local produce or damage the beauty and biodiversity of England's countryside in a drive to cut carbon.

Dustin Benton concludes: “This report reveals the hidden environmental consequences of our lifestyles by showing the dramatic changes to the shape and character of rural areas that could be needed to cut emissions to zero. Tackling climate change will mean changes to the countryside, but our choices on how to achieve emissions cuts need to be informed by a concern for wildlife, rural character, and a desire to protect natural beauty.”

Ends

Notes to Editors
1. Centre for Alternative Technology, ‘Zero carbon Britain 2030’, 16 June 2010: www.zerocarbonbritain.com

• CPRE launched 2026 - A Vision for the Countryside in May 2009, setting out a positive and optimistic vision for the future of the beautiful English countryside in 2026, the charity’s centenary year. The Vision’s key issues include: affordable, high quality housing; urban regeneration; Green Belts; better planning; green energy; local food and farming; quality of life; light pollution and valuing the countryside as a national asset.  For further information go to www.cpre.org.uk/campaigns/environment/2026-a-vision-for-the-countryside.
• CPRE, the Campaign to Protect Rural England, is a charity which promotes the beauty, tranquillity and diversity of rural England. We advocate positive solutions for the long-term future of the countryside. Founded in 1926, we have 60,000 supporters and a branch in every county. President: Bill Bryson. Patron: Her Majesty The Queen. www.cpre.org.uk

CPRE welcomes the announcement that the coalition Government has heeded its call to take another look at the draft Energy National Policy Statements (NPSs). CPRE gave evidence to the Commons Energy and Climate Change Committee which focused on the need to redraft the Energy NPSs to ensure sustainable development in the countryside.

In a statement today, Charles Hendry, the Energy Minister, said: "We have decided to take a further look at the Appraisal of Sustainability of our draft Energy Policy Statements to make sure that they are fit for purpose. Taking this decision now is essential to safeguard our long-term goal of a sustainable and secure energy supply."

Dustin Benton, Senior Policy Officer at CPRE, says: “This is a very welcome step as the draft Energy National Policy Statements pose significant risks to the countryside. They presume an unlimited demand for energy that would create a dangerous presumption in favour of new power plants regardless of environmental consequences. They also ignored the balance between national need and local impact by unduly restricting consideration of alternatives.

“We are pleased at the Government’s willingness to listen to the public and hope that its commitment to localism will be reflected by a better balance between our need for low carbon power and strong local desire to protect the beauty, tranquillity and character of the countryside.” 

Ends

Notes to Editors
• CPRE, the Campaign to Protect Rural England, is a charity which promotes the beauty, tranquillity and diversity of rural England. We advocate positive solutions for the long-term future of the countryside. Founded in 1926, we have 60,000 supporters and a branch in every county. President: Bill Bryson. Patron: Her Majesty The Queen. www.cpre.org.uk

• The Written Ministerial Statement issued by the Department of Energy and Climate Change today, is quoted in full below

Consultation for draft Energy National Policy Statements - Written statement by Charles Hendry MP, Minister of State for Energy

Today I am announcing that the Government will be launching a re-consultation in the autumn on the draft energy National Policy Statements following the consultation undertaken by the previous administration earlier this year, and in particular due to changes which have been made to the Appraisal of Sustainability for the Overarching Energy National Policy Statement.

The revised statements will give investors the certainty they need to bring forward proposals to maintain security of supply and ensure progress towards decarbonisation and plans for the first new nuclear power station to begin generating electricity by 2018 remain on course.

We intend to present the finalised statements to Parliament for ratification next Spring. A detailed implementation plan for planning reform on major infrastructure - including transitional arrangements and a revised  timetable - will be published later in the summer.