The UK government is considering restricting communities' rights to protest against wind and solar energy projects, or even preventing them from being built. [emphasis, links added]
Now, Communities can object to projects through judicial review and can do so repeatedly.
The Starmer government's proposals are Limit potential opponents of wind and solar installations to just one judicial review per projecta new document released today suggests.
The document features the plan Accelerate the planning and permitting process for large-scale wind and solar projects and “simplify” these processes to ensure it does not “unduly slow down the development of critical infrastructure”, The Financial Times cited what may be an earlier version of the document.
The final version posted on the UK government's website makes no mention of community opposition to wind and solar energy.
However, the Financial Times report quoted: “For example, This could include changing the rules so that claimants in each case can only try once to seek permission for judicial review,” While another said: “Any changes we decide to make will strike the right balance between reducing delays to infrastructure projects and maintaining access to justice in line with our domestic and international legal obligations.
Keir Starmer's government wants to have a net-zero grid in the UK by 2030 and plans to achieve this by building large amounts of wind and solar capacity, including in areas previously protected by conservation legislation.
Local communities have protested against several such projects due to their impact on the environment, and the government appears to see them as an obstacle on the road to net-zero emissions.
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