neighbourhood-planning-wind-guidance

How to identify suitable areas for onshore wind development in your neighbourhood plan
This should result in a map like that shown below, published by Hull City Council, who are considering
identifying suitable areas for onshore wind development. Once all of the constraints have been taken into
account, it can be seen that the majority of the area (shown hatched or coloured) is unsuitable for wind
development. The remaining land shown in white could potentially be suitable for development.
It is also important that, throughout, you keep a careful note of all the various issues and constraints that
this process has identified. These may be slightly different for each area or for certain parts of a bigger area.
This information can be a very important part of the evidence base put forward to support one area over
another or to clarify why an area was not put forward as being “suitable”.
Figure 1: New Hull Local Plan - Preferred Options 2015 Consultation: www.bit.ly/1p3FQpG
This isn’t the end of the process however. In order for your neighbourhood plan to be adopted, it must be
supported by the majority of people in a referendum. It’s essential therefore that the short-list of potentially
suitable land is used as the basis for further detailed consultation with residents, landowners and other
interests. You should be confident that your proposed wind allocation carries majority support in your
community before committing to include it in the final iteration of your Neighbourhood Plan.
In the referendum, residents who object to the proposed wind allocation will have no option but
to vote against the Neighbourhood Plan as a whole. Therefore, you should consider the merits of
having an informal vote prior to the formal referendum on your neighbourhood plan as to whether a wind
policy should be included in your plan, to lessen the risk of it holding up or de-railing the rest of your plan.
www.cse.org.uk
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