DLBP was delighted to attend Waterfront Conference Company’s ‘Planning for Solar Infrastructure’ conference earlier this month, where we learnt about the latest policy updates and guidance to successfully achieving planning approval for solar projects.
Planner, Rebekah Gibson, heard from Tim Warham, Senior Policy Advisor for the Department of Energy Security Department of Energy Security and Net Zero, who spoke of the Government’s ambition for a fivefold increase (up to 70GW) in solar deployment. Tim also announced The Solar Roadmap, to be released in Spring 2024, which will set out how this ambition will be achieved.
In addition, DWD, Quod and Aukera Energy shared their experiences of the main issues facing solar development today. Whilst they recognised support for renewable energy in planning policy, they felt recent updates to the National Planning Policy Framework do little to stress its urgency. Their experiences have also shown that Local Planning Authorities lack guidance on dealing with practical issues faced by solar projects, such as the backlog to achieving grid connection, appropriate timing for archaeological surveys, and the shortage of skilled specialists.
Eden Renewables also spoke about the importance of early consultation and community outreach to overcome misconceptions around solar projects. They shared their positive experience of using an 'Enquiry by Design' approach at Red Barn, where a two day collaborative workshop was held with local residents to better understand the requirements and constraints of solar projects and develop a design for the site.
This was a fantastic opportunity for the DLBP team to learn more about the issues being faced by infrastructure providers in the renewable energy industry today.
If you would like to learn more about our expertise in planning for solar projects, please contact Rebekah Gibson at rebekahgibson@dlbp.uk or on 07917953621.