Wind turbines in England
The government has honoured its manifesto pledge over giving local communities a greater say over onshore wind turbines and axing subsidies for them.
The new rules concerning wind turbinescome in on 18 June 2015.
Under these new provisions councils should only grant permission for wind turbines in their area if the site is in an area identified as suitable for wind energy as part of a local or neighbourhood plan and following consultation, the planning impacts identified by affected local communities have been fully addressed and therefore have their backing.
The Renewables Obligation, for onshore wind turbines will close at the end of March next year, some 12 months earlier than originally expected.
Leighton Andrews (Welsh public service minister) proposes major welsh planning changes to reduce the present 22 local authorities to either either eight or nine.
This will mean the return of historic counties such as Dyfed and West Glamorgan. Dyfed would be brought back by re-merging Carmarthenshire, Pembrokeshire and Ceredigion. West Glamorgan would return by joining Swansea once more with Neath Port Talbot.
Cardiff would merge with the Vale of Glamorgan, while a merger between Caerphilly, Torfaen, Blaenau Gwent, Newport and Monmouthshire would create Wales’ biggest council, with a population of nearly 600,000. Bridgend would join Rhondda Cynon Taf and Merthyr Tydfil.
Consulatations are still ongoing concerning North Wales; It could be two or three councils in North Wales.
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