Guidance published on wind energy development in Northern Ireland's landscapes

New Supplementary Planning Guidance (SPG), to guide developers on the siting and design of wind energy development in Northern Ireland’s landscapes, has been published.

Welcoming the new guidance Environment Minister Edwin Poots said: “The SPG seeks to guide wind energy development to take account of our diverse and valued landscapes throughout Northern Ireland. By doing this it will support delivery of the renewable energy target set out in the Strategic Energy Framework.”

The SPG provides broad, strategic guidance in relation to the visual and landscape impacts of wind energy development. It includes general guidance on siting and design and advice on the landscape assessment of proposed developments. It is expected to speed up the planning process by ensuring appropriate and consistent consideration of landscape issues.

Minister Poots provided assurances that the guidance will not give undue weight to landscape over other issues. He said: “Planning Policy Statement 18 makes it clear that the wider environmental, economic and social benefits of all proposals for renewable energy projects will be given significant weight in determining whether planning permission should be granted. Therefore I am confident that planning decisions will take account of all the relevant factors.”

Notes to editors:

1. The Supplementary Planning Guidance (SPG) has been prepared by the Northern Ireland Environment Agency to support Planning Policy Statement 18 on Renewable Energy and its complementary Best Practice Guide which were published in August 2009.
2. Publication of the SPG, which is titled Wind Energy Development in Northern Ireland’s Landscapes, was approved by the Executive on 22 July 2010. It can be found in the Supplementary Planning Guidance (SPG) section of the Planning Service website
3. While the SPG focuses on visual and landscape issues, any planning application will be assessed on its own merits in relation to the full range of relevant factors which include economic, social, technical, natural and built heritage considerations.
4. The SPG was developed by Julie Martin Associates in association with Alison Farmer Associates, Minogue & Associates and ERA-Maptec Ltd. using an innovative approach based on the 130 Landscape Character Areas in Northern Ireland. For each of these areas the landscape, visual character and overall sensitivity to wind energy development has been described and recommendations are provided on location, siting and design considerations for wind energy development.
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