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 has 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.
Standalone wind turbines within the curtilage of a
dwelling or block of flats
From 1 December 2011, the installation, alteration or
replacement of a standalone wind turbine situated within 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 wind turbine within the same curtilage
There is no installation of an air source
heat pump within the same curtilage
The highest part of the wind turbine is no higher than 11.1
metres
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 located at a distance equivalent to its height (to
tip of blades) plus 10% from any boundary of the curtilage
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
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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.