Scottish Government

This section should drive at the heart of what planning for renewables is about - something like: Renewables are a key element in climate change mitigation as we move to a low carbon Scotland. Onshore and offshore deployment is fast-moving. The planning system provides guidance on the locations where particular types or renewables are most likely to be appropriate as well detailing the criteria to be taken into account in the determination of applications.

Policy Aims

Scottish Government Policy is to generate the equivalent of 100% of Scotland's gross annual electricity consumption and the equivalent of 11% of Scotland's heat demand met from renewable sources by 2020. Scottish Planning Policy (SPP) supports the installation of a wide range of renewable energy technologies, including energy storage. SPP requires planning authorities to provide in their development plan a spatial frameworks for onshore wind farms over 20MW and less than 20MW if considered appropriate to support the development of wind farms in locations where the technology can operate efficiently and environmental and cumulative impacts can be satisfactorily addressed.

Also Worth Seeing

PAN 45 Renewable Energy Technologies and Annex 2 Spatial Frameworks and Supplementary Planning Guidance for Wind Farms has been replaced with web based renewables advice which will be regularly updated. The advice can be found below:-

• Onshore wind turbines
• Wind Farm Developments On Peat Land (June 2011)
• Process for preparing spatial frameworks for wind farms
• Hydro schemes
• Woody biomass
• Landfill gas
• Energy from waste
• Anaerobic digestion
• Deep geothermal
• Large photovoltaic arrays
• Energy storage

For further information on Planning and Renewable Energy please contact:

Allen Hughes
0131 244 5906

Simon Bonsall
0131 244 7546