Draft Planning Policy Statement 18 Renewable Energy Public Consultation Draft
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Planning and Natural Resources Division Planning and Environmental Policy Group Draft Planning Policy Statement 18 Renewable Energy Consultation Paper 23 November 2007 How to give your views You are invited to send your views on this Draft Planning Policy Statement, PPS18 ‘Renewable Energy’. Draft PPS 18 sets out the Department of the Environment’s planning policy for development that generates energy from renewable resources. The PPS also contains policy provisions on the application of the principles of Passive Solar Design in new development. Comments should reflect the structure of the document as much as possible with references to paragraph numbers where relevant. All responses should be made in writing and emailed to: [email protected] or sent by post to: Stephen Hamilton PPS 18 Renewable Energy Consultation Planning and Environmental Policy Group, Department of the Environment 12th Floor River House, 48 High Street, BELFAST, BT1 2AW The consultation period will end on Friday 21 March 2008 Draft PPS18 is available on the Planning Service website: www.planningni.gov.uk or can be obtained by telephoning (028) 9054 7713, textphone at (028) 9054 0642 or by writing to the above address. Should you require a copy of this document in an alternative format, it can be made available on request in large print, disc, Braille or audiocassette. It may also be made available in minority languages for those who are not proficient in English. In keeping with our policy on openness, the Department may make responses to this consultation document publicly available upon request. At the end of the consultation period the Department will consider all comments received, following which the draft documents will be amended if necessary and, subject to Ministerial approval, published in final form. 2 CONTENTS Preamble .........................................................................................................5 1.0 Introduction ...........................................................................................7 2.0 Policy Context .......................................................................................9 3.0 Policy Objectives.................................................................................12 4.0 Planning Policies.................................................................................13 ANNEX 1 - Information and best practice guidance for renewable energy development proposals..................................................................................27 A. WIND ENERGY ................................................................................27 Introduction .......................................................................................27 Technology........................................................................................28 Planning issues .................................................................................35 Information to accompany a planning application .............................55 Other Authorisations/Consents .........................................................56 Consultees ........................................................................................56 B. BIOMASS..........................................................................................58 Introduction .......................................................................................58 Technology........................................................................................59 Planning issues .................................................................................68 Information to accompany a planning application .............................68 Other Authorisations/Consents .........................................................69 C. ENERGY FROM WASTE (biological processes) ..............................70 Introduction .......................................................................................70 Technology........................................................................................71 Planning issues .................................................................................77 Information to accompany a planning application .............................80 Other Authorisations/Consents .........................................................81 D. ENERGY FROM WASTE (Thermal processes) ................................82 Introduction .......................................................................................82 Technology........................................................................................83 Planning issues .................................................................................86 Information to accompany a planning application .............................87 Other Authorisations/Consents .........................................................88 E. SMALL HYDRO ................................................................................89 Introduction .......................................................................................89 Technology........................................................................................89 3 Planning issues .................................................................................91 Information to accompany a planning application .............................94 Other Authorisations/Consents .........................................................95 F. ACTIVE SOLAR (Photovoltaics) .......................................................96 Introduction .......................................................................................96 Technology........................................................................................96 Planning issues .................................................................................98 Information to accompany a planning application .............................99 G. SOLAR THERMAL (Solar Water Heating) ......................................100 Introduction .....................................................................................100 Technology......................................................................................100 Planning issues ...............................................................................102 Information to accompany a planning application ...........................103 H. GROUND, WATER AND AIR SOURCE HEAT PUMPS .................105 Introduction .....................................................................................105 Technology......................................................................................105 Planning issues ...............................................................................106 ANNEX 2 - Passive Solar Design ................................................................109 Introduction..............................................................................................109 Technology ..............................................................................................109 Planning issues .......................................................................................111 Information to accompany a planning application....................................112 Other Authorisations/Consents................................................................113 ANNEX 3 - Community benefits arising out of the development of windfarms and other large scale renewable energy projects in Northern Ireland..........115 1. Planning Agreements.................................................................115 2. Community benefits – outside of the planning process..............115 3. Case studies ..............................................................................116 ANNEX 4 – Stakeholder organisations ........................................................121 ANNEX 5 – Screening for Equality Impact Assessment Draft Planning Policy Statement 18 ‘Renewable Energy’...............................................................123 4 Preamble The Department of the Environment (the Department) is responsible for planning control in Northern Ireland. The Planning Service, an Agency within the Department, administers its planning functions. The Department of Finance and Personnel have responsibility for the building regulations, and the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment (DETI), is responsible for Energy. The Department has a statutory duty, laid down in Article 3 of the Planning (Northern Ireland) Order 1991, to formulate and co-ordinate policy for securing the orderly and consistent development of land and the planning of that development. The Department is required to ensure such policy is in general conformity with the Regional Development Strategy. The Department’s planning policies are normally issued through Planning Policy Statements (PPS) and PPS 1 ‘General Principles’ advises that: “Planning Policy Statements set out the policies of the Department on particular aspects of land-use planning and apply to the whole of Northern Ireland. Their contents will be taken into account in preparing development plans and are also material to decisions on individual planning applications and appeals.” This Planning Policy Statement, PPS 18 ‘Renewable Energy’ sets out the Department’s planning policy for development that generates energy from renewable resources. The PPS also contains policy provisions on the application of the principles of Passive Solar Design in new development. It embodies the Government’s commitments to: