New measures, due to be laid before Parliament shortly, will require developers seeking planning permission for virtually all onshore wind developments to consult the local community before submitting a formal planning application.

Ministers have made it clear that this new requirement for pre-application consultation would cover all projects involving more than two turbines and any proposal for a turbine more than 15 metres high.

When a proposal meets the criteria, the developer will need to consult to ensure communities’ views about siting and other relevant planning issues can be heard first, the Government has confirmed. The measure will come into force before the end of the year.

Communities Secretary Eric Pickles said:

"Ensuring communities have a greater say at an early stage allows developers to consider much earlier whether to pursue a proposal and what changes they should consider before putting forward formal plans.

"Our changes allow people’s views and other impacts to be taken into consideration much earlier."

Energy Minister Michael Fallon said:

"These measures build on existing industry best practice that already takes place for most commercial scale applications, where early engagement is required, and complement the need for good local plan making."

Details of the new regime will be set out in the Town and Country Planning (Development Management Procedure and Section 62A Applications (England) (Amendment) Order 2013.

Read the Department for Communities and Local Government news release.

Roger Milne

21 November 2013