Happy to forward news that the government looks into incentives, such as discounted electricity bills or new playgrounds, for areas that install turbines, just in via the LEG – Lochaber Environmental Group:
Windfarms could provide windfall for local communities
[Press Association/The Guardian, 20 Sept 2012]
Communities that have windfarms in their area
could get money off their electricity bills or grants for facilities
such as playgrounds, the government has suggested. The Department of Energy and Climate Change has launched a consultation
into how communities could benefit from having windfarms sited near
them, for example by receiving discounts on other bills or investment in
local infrastructure. It will also look at how local businesses could
become involved in the supply chain and how developers can best consult
local people. Energy
secretary Edward Davey said that too often host communities have seen
the "windfarm but not the windfall" and he wants to ensure people
benefited from them.
Significant opposition to onshore windfarms has been voiced by a number of Tory MPs, who wanted to see subsidies for the technology slashed, but the latest figures show the majority of people are in favour of the turbines. The latest data from Decc's quarterly survey into public attitudes revealed that 66% of people were in favour of onshore wind, although the figure was lower than for other renewable technologies. Onshore wind had the highest level of opposition of the renewable energy sources, although only 12% opposed the technology, with just 4% strongly opposed to it.
Davey said: "Onshore wind has an important role to play in a diverse energy mix that is secure, low carbon and affordable. We know that two-thirds of people support the growth of onshore wind. But far too often, host communities have seen the windfarms but not the windfall. We are sensitive to the controversy around onshore wind and we want to ensure that people benefit from having windfarms sited near to them.
But the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) warned the government against promoting a system in which communities were "paid off" to secure planning permission for windfarms. Tom Leveridge, senior energy campaigner for CPRE, said: "We must make sure that this does not promote simplistic notions of 'sharing benefits' that amount to little more then paying off communities to secure planning permission. This would fundamentally undermine a core principle of the planning system – that planning permission should not be bought or sold – and put the countryside at greater risk from poorly sited wind developments."
For the original article, see:
