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April 08 - Landmark for microgeneration: changes to planning law |
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1 April 2008 The microgeneration industrywelcomes new Government legislation which will slash planning redtape tomake it easier for people to install microgeneration technology. From 6April2008 microgeneration technologies will become permitteddevelopmentwhich means householders will be able to take up microgeneration,withinsensible limits, without having to apply for planning permission. Conservation areas were excluded from the original GPDO but later in the year the ruling was changed to allow solar panels on the roof without permission but panels on the walls in Conservation Areas will still require Planning Permission. Download:  The Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (Amendment) Order 2008 40 Kb
Dave Sowden, Chief Executiveof the Micropower Council said: "Today is a landmark in removing redtapefor the microgeneration sector. From 6 April, most householders in Englandwill beable to install microgeneration technologies without the constraintsthat haveso far acted as a significant brake on the industry's growth. Theindustry fully supports this important move by the Government, andwelcomes itsclear and unambiguous promise to Parliament to extending similarfreedom tomicro-wind and air source heat pumps as soon as a minor, routine, legalhurdlehas been cleared". Communities and Local GovernmentRelease - ‘Solar power homes get the go-ahead for April start' is at www.communities.gov.uk/news/corporate/721541
The Amendment to the Town andCountry Planning (General Permitted Development) (Amendment) (England)Order 1995 for the Installation of Domestic Microgeneration Equipmentwas laid before Parliament by the Parliamentary Under Secretary ofState for Communities and Local Government Iain Wright. In anaccompanying statement to Parliament, the government also commits toextending similar freedom to micro-wind and air source heat pumps indue course, the only reason not to at this stage being a final,routine, legal hurdle. (Ministerial Statement and SI attached)
This move is the result of overthree years of industry campaigning, led by the Micropower Council, theprime mover behind the Climate Change and Sustainable Energy Act 2006.Section 10 of this Act required the government to review the system ofpermitted development with a view to facilitating the greater uptake ofmicrogeneration, form a view on necessary changes, and implement thosechanges. Today's announcement marks the successful outcome of thiscampaign.
The Climate Change andSustainable Energy Act is one of the largest private members billsever, sponsored by Labour backbencher Mark Lazarowicz, MP for EdinburghNorth and Leith. The section of theAct on permitted development was an amendment to the bill taken fromanother private members bill that did not progress through parliamentsponsored by Alan Whitehead, MP for Southampton Test.
The Act also contains a widerange of other measures to encourage the greater uptake ofmicrogeneration, details of which can be found www.micropower.co.uk/publications/ccsebillmeasures.pdf
MicropowerCouncil www.micropower.co.uk |
