Department for Energy and Climate Change (DECC) has insisted that a ruling by a UN committee that the consultation surrounding the administration’s National Renewable Energy Action Plan (NREAP) did not comply with the requirements of an international treaty on environmental consultation, the Aarhus Convention, will not derail UK wind farm planning.
A DECC spokesperson said that the decision over the Aarhus Convention and a Scottish wind farm consent would not affect ‘our ambitions for the deployment of onshore and offshore wind. The United Kingdom is of course aware of its obligations under article 7 and will seek to act in compliance with them where those obligations apply. We are disappointed that the Committee has decided to make a finding of non-compliance with respect to article 7 as it applies to the NREAP. We note that the committee found in favour of the UK Government in relation to all the other aspects of the complaint – in particular, those relating to the planning decisions on the wind farm involved. There is no formal role for the NREAP in planning decisions. Therefore, the Committee’s ruling should have no effect on planning decisions and on planning policy.’
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