18/7/23
The Department for Infrastructure (DfI) launched a consultation on the Review of Regional Strategic Planning Policy on Renewable and Low Carbon Energy. The aim of the review is to ensure that regional strategic planning policy on renewable and low carbon energy in Northern Ireland remains fit for purpose and up-to-date to inform decision-making in relation to development proposals for this subject area.
The deadline to this consultation was 30th June 2023. RSUA has formulated a response in conjunction with the climate emergency committee. Special thanks to Ben Aston, Alan Ritchie and Jane Rogers.
Key points from RSUA’s response include:
- RSUA welcomes DfI’s review of regional planning policy on renewable and low carbon energy which seeks to facilitate and support the delivery of climate and energy targets. However, RSUA believes the draft regional policy is limited in its reach and will not tackle systematic issues in the planning system e.g. planning timelines, that will allow climate and energy targets to be met.
- RSUA welcomes a presumption in favour of sustainable development. However, RSUA believes requiring LDPs to adopt a spatial approach to identify suitable sites for renewable and low carbon developments at this stage of the LDP process would undermine the urgency needed and NI’s ability to address climate targets.
- If the guidance proposed in the draft revised policy for a setback distance of x10 the rotor diameter is applied by Councils it could become increasingly restrictive to larger, more efficient turbines and encourage the use of smaller, less efficient turbines which increases costs for consumers and inhibits NI’s ability to achieve renewables targets. RSUA believes the proposed setback distance would make NI less attractive for investment, create a presumption against wind farm development and could impede NI from achieving climate and energy targets by making it more difficult to find suitable sites for development due to the nature and spread of dwellings in NI’s landscape. Less restrictive setback distances are implemented in neighbouring jurisdictions, for example, ROI has a setback distance requirement of 4 times the tip height of the turbine. RSUA proposes a less restrictive setback distance should be used similar to that used in ROI with the aim to minimise the impact on communities while maximising suitable area for renewable projects.
To view RSUA’s full response, please click here.
To view the consultation documents, click here.
