National Infrastructure Commission: Pay people to accept wind farms

Angus Walker Partner

The National Infrastructure Commission has submitted a report to the government recommending measures that may expedite the planning of nationally significant transport and energy projects in the UK.

The National Infrastructure Commission report follows Chancellor Jeremy Hunt’s request for a review of the country’s planning processes for nationally significant transport and energy projects in February.

Recommendations also included updating the National Policy Statements every five years, and providing better compensation for those impacted by infrastructure developments.

In articles for New Civil Engineer and Construction Index, partner Angus Walker comments on the recommendation that the government should amend legislation to bring onshore wind back into the nationally significant infrastructure projects system.

‘In an immediate clash with government policy, the commission recommends that onshore wind be brought back into the regime – a recommendation that I strongly agree with so that the benefits and adverse impacts of projects can be weighed up just like everything else.

It also wants more ‘community benefit’ – which essentially means financial benefits for those in the immediate vicinity – for projects such as windfarms and solar farms but is suggesting this be done at a system level. This is a good move, since if it was up to individual developers to propose community benefits this would (a) give the appearance of them ‘buying’ permission, which runs counter to one of the basic principles of the planning system and (b) raise the expectation that everyone should do this and put pressure on increasing the amounts over time.’

The full articles on the National Infrastructure Commission report are available to read on the New Civil Engineer and Construction Index websites.

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