Draft planning framework strengthens support for renewables in Scotland

The Scottish government has strengthened support for onshore wind projects in its new draft national planning framework (NPF).

The NPF4, which was laid before the Scottish Parliament for consultation on Wednesday (10 November), says that once an area has been identified for wind farms, it should be suitable for this use “in perpetuity”.

The new framework says development proposals for all forms of renewable energy and low-carbon fuels should be supported “in principle”. This also applies to any enabling works such as transmission and distribution infrastructure and energy storage.

The new planning blueprint, which has been drawn up to replace the existing NP3 that dates back to 2014, maintains the existing embargo on development of wind farms in national parks and national scenic areas.

But outside of these protected areas, the draft NPF states that proposals for new wind farms should be supported unless the impacts of the development are “unacceptable”.

Site specific assessments, including environmental, landscape and visual impact assessments where applicable, will be required to inform judgements about the acceptability of individual projects.

Other factors to be taken into account by councils determining renewable energy projects are the economic impact and how much they contribute to renewable energy generation targets.

The framework also says councils, when drawing up their own local development plans, should seek to ensure that their area’s “full potential” for electricity and heat from renewable sources is achieved.

It adds that opportunities for new development, extensions and repowering of existing renewable energy developments should be supported.

Development proposals for small-scale renewable energy generation technology should also be supported, according to the NPF.

And solar arrays should be supported where the planning authority is satisfied that any glint and glare will not have an adverse impact on nearby residents, road safety or aviation.

The document says the Scottish government will support a “wide range” of renewable technologies but says it is “likely” that the onshore wind sector will play the “greatest role” in the coming years.

The stance outlined on onshore wind is a marked beefing up of support for the technology compared to NP3, which highlighted how opinions about onshore wind vary in particular locations, with concerns in some areas about the “scale, proximity and impacts” of such developments.

The draft NPF also maintains continued support for pumped hydro storage, like the Cruachan facility in Argyll, as a nationally significant infrastructure developments.

It also confirms national policy support for strategic upgrades to Scotland’s electricity generation and transmission infrastructure to support the roll out of a “large increase” in renewable electricity generation north of the border.

More broadly, the NPF states that when considering all development proposals “significant weight” should be given to the global climate emergency.

Responding to the NPF’s publication, Morag Watson, director of policy at Scottish Renewables, said the body is “delighted” that the new document will support increased green energy deployment.

She said: “The commitment by the Scottish government that NPF4 should ensure our planning system delivers consistent and predictable decisions and the recognition that uncomfortable choices may need to be made is also welcome.

“The announcements today sends a strong signal to the renewable energy industry to have confidence in bringing forward new projects that will deliver thousands of green jobs and bring billions of pounds of investment into our economy as we transition towards a net-zero energy system. We look forward to scrutinising the detail of the draft NPF4 and working with the Scottish government to ensure it delivers on these welcome and necessary commitments.”