Planning curbs on domestic renewables to be scrapped

In a speech to the Green Alliance, Kelly launched a consultation which recommends that people will no longer need to apply for planning permission to put ‘microgeneration’ devices on their homes where it is clear there is little or no impact on neighbouring properties.

She said: “I believe that the local planning system should support efforts to tackle climate change rather than acting as a barrier, but it is important that we ensure that there are clear, common-sense safeguards on noise, siting and size and that the unique features of conservation areas are protected”.

Local authorities will retain the right to restrict planning permission in exceptional circumstances where the benefit of the technology is clearly questionable and outweighed by its impact on the local environment.

Responding to the consultation, Dave Sowden, chief executive of the Micropower Council said: “The current planning system says "no" unless there is a good reason to consider otherwise. In future it will say “yes” within properly considered, pre-defined limits. This will make a big difference to large numbers of customers wanting to take up microgeneration but put off today by bureaucracy and inconsistency.

The closing date for responses to consultation paper ‘Changes to permitted development’ is 27 June 2007.