Agenda item

            The Committee considered the undernoted report:

“1.0     Purpose of Report or Summary of Main Issues

1.1       The Department for Infrastructure (DfI) is carrying out a review of Strategic Planning Policy on Renewable and Low Carbon Energy. DfI has circulated an Issues Paper to a range of key stakeholders for comment (see Appendix 1) with a view to issuing a draft revised policy document for full public consultation sometime in 2022.

1.2       The Planning Committee is asked to agree the Council’s response at Appendix 2, which will inform the Department’s review.

2.0       Recommendation

2.1       The Committee is asked to consider and if appropriate agree the draft response to DfI’s review of Strategic Planning Policy on Renewable and Low Carbon Energy as set out at Appendix 2 on mod.gov.

3.0       Main Report

            Background

3.1       In March 2016 the Department issued a ‘Call for Evidence’ to help inform the scope of a proposed focused review of strategic planning policy for Renewable Energy development to which the council subsequently responded. Following an announcement by the Minister in April 2021 the Department is now undertaking further stakeholder engagement to assist in informing the preparation of a public consultation draft policy document which the Department aims to publish in 2022.

3.2       The Department anticipates that this review may result in an amendment to the Strategic Planning Policy Statement (SPPS) (DOE, 2015) as it is seeking to ensure that strategic planning policy on renewable and low carbon energy development remains fit for purpose and up-to-date in order to inform both the decision-making process as well as the Local Development Plan (LDP) preparation process, all within the wider contemporary context for energy and the climate emergency.

            Planning Policy Context

3.3       The provisions of the SPPS apply to the whole of Northern Ireland and they must be taken into account in the preparation of LDPs and are material to all decisions on individual planning applications and appeals by planning authorities. The current policy approach in the SPPS in relation to Renewable Energy (RE) is:

3.4       ‘to facilitate the siting of renewable energy generating facilities in appropriate locations within the built and natural environment in order to achieve Northern Ireland’s renewable energy targets and to realise the benefits of renewable energy without compromising other environmental assets of acknowledged importance’ (Paragraph 6.218).

            Wider Policy Context

3.5       The SPPS sets out a range of objectives which seek to ensure that RE development makes an increased contribution to the overall energy mix in accordance with the Department for Economy’s (DfE) strategic aims for a more secure and sustainable energy system. The Path to Net Zero Energy, the Executive’s recently published Energy Strategy (December, 2021) sets a target of meeting at least 70% of electricity consumption from a diverse mix of renewable sources by 2030.

3.6       This review also provides an opportunity to consider how strategic planning policy can help address the climate emergency in terms of mitigation and adaptation measures as well as enabling a green recovery from the Covid pandemic. Given the wider policy context this Issues Paper has been circulated to other relevant sections within the council to ensure the response takes account of broader initiatives and policies.

            Scope of the Review

3.7       The scope of the review includes consideration of strategic planning policy matters with regards to current and likely future renewable and low carbon energy development and associated infrastructure. The review focusses on, but is not limited to:

·        Energy targets & strategic planning policy;

·        Locational considerations;

·        Siting new wind farms in perpetuity;

·        Wind turbines & amenity considerations;

·        Decommissioning and site restoration for new development;

·        Solar farms and agricultural land;

·        Co-locating renewable, low carbon and supporting infrastructure;

·        Re-powering existing wind farms; and

·        Emerging technologies and other issues.

            Key Issues

3.9       The Council broadly supports the rationale for this review, however, it does not consider that any fundamental change to strategic planning policy is necessary as existing provisions within the SPPS set out a reasonable and balanced approach to facilitating renewable energy developments in appropriate locations without compromising acknowledged environmental assets whilst at the same time recognising that there may be wider environmental, economic and social factors to consider.

3.10     The Local Development Plan preparation process provides sufficient scope for councils to introduce operational policies which take into account local circumstances such as topography and amenity considerations and as such the SPPS does not need to be overly detailed or prescriptive providing that local policies are found to be sound.

3.11     The Council welcomes that this review seeks to have regard to wider policy developments such as the climate emergency and attempts to address how the targets set out in DfE’s Energy Strategy may be achieved. However, it is also important that that any changes to strategic policy considers the potential implications for the future development of the energy network as set out in SONI’s ‘Shaping Our Electricity Roadmap’. Consideration needs to be given to the potential implications that any policy change may have in delivering the renewable generation capacities identified in this roadmap document and the approach to future network and infrastructure development.

3.12     The Council’s proposed response to the Department’s Issues Paper is provided at Appendix 2 on mod.gov. Members are asked to endorse this response.

            Financial & Resource Implications 

3.13     There are no resource implications associated with this report.

            Equality implications or Good Relations implications / Rural needs assessment

3.14     None.”

            The Committee agreed the draft response.