Red tape surrounding micro-generation to be reduced?

Posted on 30. Jul, 2006 by ashleys in General

The UK government recently announced that it intends to greatly reduce the red tape which delays and holds up planning applications for micro-renewable energy installations. Under plans to streamline the governing of household appliances, ministers said planning restrictions for small-scale micro-generation would be lifted.  Such a  move should pave the way for domestic installations being able to proceed without the need for planning permission. The  micro-renewables would include such things as solar PV cells, solar panels for water heating and small wind-turbines.

Housing minister Yvette Cooper said:

“It is absurd that you should be able to put a satellite dish up on your house but should have to wrestle with the planning process for small scale micro-generation
which is no more obtrusive and can have a real impact on tackling climate change. We want far more micro-generation to be treated as permitted development and we also should be able to simplify the system for small developments such as extensions.”

Quite,  so why doesn’t the government take a much more agressive role in promoting micro-generation. Research by the Energy Saving Trust suggested micro-generation could provide 30 to 40 per cent of Britain’s electricity needs by 2050. Which of course suggests a reduced need for all the new nuclear power stations.