Wind turbines
Wind turbines harness the power of the wind and use it to
generate electricity. To obtain any level of effectiveness they
need to be located high off the ground, this can be achieved either
by mounting them on a building or as a standalone structure. The amount of electricity
generated by a wind turbine will depend entirely on its location
and so a thorough investigation of wind speed and turbulance at the
location you plan to install the turbine should be undertaken
prior to installation.
Whilst contributing to your home's energy demands an
effective wind turbine have the potential to generate a surplus
supply of electricity which can be sold to the national grid to
generate an income. Government backed Feed-In Tarriffs (FITs)
are available for those looking to sell electicity back to the
grid.
Further details of this, together with other ways to help reduce
your home's impact on the environment can be found on the Council's
Climate Change: Residents section.
Wind turbines on a dwelling, block of flats or on a detached
building within the curtilage of a dwelling or block of
flats
From 1 December 2011, the installation, alteration or
replacement of a wind turbine on a detached
dwelling or a detached building situated in the curtilage of a
dwellinghouse or block of flats does not need
planning permission as long as:
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The wind turbine complies with the
MCS Planning Standards or equivalent standards (see
definitions)
This is the only turbine on the same building or within the same
curtilage
There is no installation of an air source heat pump on the same
building or within the same curtilage
The turbine does not exceed the highest part of the roof (excluding
the chimney) or 15 metres in height, whichever is the lowest
The distance between the lowest part of any blade and the ground
is five metres or more (i.e. less than 5 metres and planning
permission is required)
The turbine is positioned so that no part of it is within 5
metres of the curtilage of the dwellinghouse or block of
flats
The swept area of any blade does not exceed 3.8 square metres |
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Additional site specific restrictions
In addition to the above criteria there are still several site
specific restrictions that may apply to your house. You can
use our online mapping service to check to see
if these restrictions apply to your house.
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The wind turbine must not located on “safeguarded land”.
Safeguarded areas exist around aviation and defence installations
and as such if you are living in an area to the west of
Peterborough you should check to make sure you are not within the
safeguarded area surrounding RAF Wittering.
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The turbine must not be located on the site of a
scheduled ancient monument or within the curtilage of a listed
building.
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Where the wind turbine is installed within a Conservation Area it is not located on a wall or
roof slope which fronts a highway (either on the dwellinghouse or
block of flats or on a detached building within the curtilage of
either) |
Conditions
If your proposed turbine meets all of the above criteria you do
not need to apply for planning permission before you install the
device, however there are still a number of conditions
that apply. These are as follows:
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The blades of the turbine must be of a non-reflective
material
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The turbine shall as far as practicable be located so as to
minimise its effect on the external appearance of the building and
the amenity of the area
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The turbine shall be removed when no longer in use |
What next?
If you are looking to be able to sell any excess
electricity generated back to the National Grid you will need to be
registered on a Feed-in tariff (FITs). In order
to be able to be eligible for the Feed-in Tariff your system must
be installed by an MCS accredited installer. To search for an MCS
approved installer you can refer to the
MCS Installer Search page. For more
general information and guidance on installing solar panels please
refer to the
Energy Saving Trust website.
Definitions
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Block of flats means any building which
consists wholly of flats
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Detached dwellinghouse or detached
building means a dwellinghouse or building, as the
case may be, which does not share a party wall with a neighbouring
building
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MSC Planning Standards means the product and
installation standards for air sourse heat pumps and wind turbines
specified in Microgeneration Certificate Scheme MSC 020(b) – we
recommend you seek advice from a suitably qualified and experienced
supplier with regard to this aspect.
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Safeguarded land means land which:
(a) Is necessary to be safeguarded for aviation or defence
purposes; and
(b) Has been notified as such, in writing, to the Secretary of
State by an aerodrome operator, NATS (EN ROUTE) PLC or the
Secretary of State for Defence for the purposes of these
regulations
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Stand alone wind turbine means a wind
turbine which is not fixed to a building
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Disclaimer
This advice is not meant as a substitute for the actual
regulations contained in The Town and Country Planning (General
Permitted Development) (Amendment) (England) Order 2011. You can
check this regulation by visiting www.legislation.gov.uk
Peterborough City Council Planning Services recommends that
before proceeding with any development that you obtain written
advice from the Council with regard to whether planning permission
is required. Please refer to the main Do I need planning permission? page for further
details.