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UK: New planning policy afoot at district council


A NEW planning policy to determine how East Lindsey District Council’s planning officers approach wind turbine developments is being developed.
The council is updating the local plan and a renewable energy policy will form part of a final document that will be subject to public consultation and scrutiny by the Government’s planning inspectorate.

The renewable energy policy will provide a consistent and robust approach to dealing with planning applications for renewable energy and help to protect the landscape character of the area.

ELDC has seen several planning applications by major organisations wanting to bring wind energy to the district and the authority has successfully defended its decisions to refuse permission for wind farms at Baumber and Anderby near Skegness.
The Government’s planning inspectorate has said there will be a further planning appeal ELDC will need to defend after a developer appealed its decision to refuse permission for a wind farm at Orby.
Although the policy is still being developed, it will be subject to extensive public consultation, and be robust enough to comply with National Planning Policy so it can be used where necessary to fight planning appeals by developers.
ELDC’S planning policy, Anne Shorland, said: “A planning policy must comply with national planning policy and must absolutely not predetermine the outcome of any planning applications we may receive. “However, we need to adopt a policy that has weight in planning law and is clear enough for us to use as evidence at appeals.”

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