Environmental FAQs – Onshore wind

What is happening with onshore wind in the UK?

The Government has committed to achieving clean power by 2030. With a commitment to energy independence and cutting British energy bills, government targets are to double onshore wind energy (from 15GW to 30GW) by 20301 with the removal of the restrictions in England that have prevented the development of onshore wind farms since 2015.

Why has the Government overturned onshore wind policy?

Overturning the ban on onshore wind was one of the first acts of the new government. They removed specific restrictions in England that halted onshore wind developments if any opposition to plans was registered. This means that planning for onshore wind is now subject to the same legislation as other large infrastructure projects and on an even keel with developments already underway in Scotland. If onshore wind farms are designated Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIPs) then the ultimate sign-off would come from the government rather than at a local level, which would potentially speed up the consenting process.

We already have offshore wind farms – why do we need onshore farms too?

As Britain is a small island, we have a lot of suitable coastline with the right climate conditions for offshore wind. The UK is already the largest offshore wind producer in Europe, and the government has committed to quadrupling outputs by 2030, from 15GW to 60GW.

The key to reaching 2030 clean energy targets is in a mix of renewable energy sources. Onshore wind farms take less time to construct as conditions are less volatile than at sea, with shorter distance to grid connections and other energy infrastructure.

How much power can onshore wind produce?

Working with the University of Exeter, not-for-profit charity Friends of the Earth found that using just under 3% of the land in England for onshore wind and solar would generate enough electricity for 83 million homes: more than 13 times the energy that is currently output by onshore renewables.

What is the opposition to onshore wind?

Some opposition to onshore wind farms comes from the visual impact. Our colleagues at Macro Works work with onshore wind and solar developers on Landscape and Visual Impact (LVIA) assessments. Part of these assessments include stakeholder engagement: working with communities and landowners throughout the planning process with montages, 3d views and fly-throughs to provide context and atmosphere to a development. Read about their work on Castleblanney Wind Farm

What about wildlife and onshore wind?

As part of the planning process for onshore wind, thorough Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) will take into account birds and bats flying at turbine level, and plants and animals on and below ground level. These include the detection of protected and invasive species to ensure suitable plans are put into place, to protect the former and mitigate the spread of the latter. Environmental surveys are thorough and stringent, taking place over a minimum of two years and during all seasons to ensure that all the required data is captured.

What are the environmental restrictions around onshore wind farms?

There are many restrictions, regulations and legislation to protect wildlife that may be affected by the installation and operations of onshore wind developments. APEM Group offer the full range of environmental and planning services required for an onshore wind EIA that will satisfy environmental requirements.

What environmental surveys go into development plans for onshore wind?

Surveying typically starts with ornithology, lasting two years to capture seasonal, migratory and behavioural data which may lead to specific surveys by experts in protected raptor species. Surveys for bats are equally rigorous and seasonal, to capture roosting data in the hibernation period and behavioural activity during emergence and re-entry. Terrestrial ecological surveys take place for protected species including dormice and great crested newts as well as terrestrial and freshwater plants and animals, soil and habitat assessments.

Using a variety of methods including remote sensing, ground truthing, aerial surveys and laboratory analysis gives an overall picture of a development site and its surroundings, with any specific concerns detected and surveyed.

Gathering data that is robust and accurate takes time, innovative technology and expert planning and analysis to ensure that all of the information required for an EIA is present and presentable, to satisfy the requirements of developers, legislators, communities and landowners.

You can read about some of the work we do onshore here, from using eDNA in the fight against invasive species, remote sensing to map Himalayan balsam in Bridgend, to searching for freshwater pearl mussels in Scotland. To speak to a member of our team about onshore wind EIAs and surveys, contact APEM Group.