Onshore windfarm applications hit 10-year high in England
England's onshore windfarm applications have reached a 10-year high following the Labour government's lifting of the Conservative de facto ban in 2023. Applications have surged from 1MW per month at their nadir to 36MW per month by early 2024, though projects remain significantly smaller than those in Scotland and Wales.
Summary
According to a Guardian analysis of government data, approximately 45 applications for new onshore windfarms were submitted in the year to March, marking the highest annual level in a decade. Before Labour came to power, onshore wind applications averaged about 9MW monthly on a rolling 12-month basis. This rate has increased fourfold to approximately 36MW per month by the start of 2024. The resurgence is even more dramatic when compared to September 2023, when applications averaged just 1MW per month under Conservative administration.
However, England's onshore wind development significantly lags behind other UK nations. Since the ban was lifted, England has received 438MW in total onshore wind proposals, compared with 490MW in Wales and 5,280MW in Scotland. The projects proposed in England are markedly smaller, averaging just 2 turbines delivering 8MW of capacity, whereas Scottish proposals average 9 turbines with 59MW capacity. Only one English project exceeding 100MW has been proposed, while Scotland has seen 18 such large-scale projects. The Imerys project near St Austell, Cornwall (20MW) became the largest onshore windfarm to secure government subsidy since the ban was lifted.
Official government statements emphasize that the ban removal aims to strengthen energy security, grow the economy, and reduce bills. The government has also simplified planning requirements for small turbines no larger than an oak tree. Industry representatives highlight that onshore wind generates electricity at approximately half the cost of new gas-fired generation, with significant economic benefits including £5,000 annual community benefit funds per megawatt and potential £56bn contribution to the economy by 2050 through supply chain development and manufacturing.
About this episode
<p>Surge in proposals follows Labour’s lifting of de facto ban, with about 45 plans submitted in the year to March</p><p>Plans for new onshore windfarms in England have reached their highest annual level in a decade, after the government overturned the Conservatives’ de facto ban in 2015.</p><p>About 45 applications for new onshore windfarms were submitted in the year to March,according to a Guardian analysis of government data.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/aug/23/onshore-windfarm-applications-10-year-high-england">Continue reading...</a>
Key Insights
- Onshore wind applications in England increased roughly 36-fold from the September 2023 nadir of 1MW per month to 36MW per month by early 2024, demonstrating rapid policy impact.
- The average onshore windfarm proposed in England contains 2 turbines with 8MW capacity, compared to Scottish proposals averaging 9 turbines with 59MW capacity, indicating a structural difference in project ambition between regions.
- England has received only 438MW in onshore wind proposals since the ban was lifted, substantially trailing Scotland's 5,280MW and Wales's 490MW, despite having a higher population and land area.
- Onshore wind generates electricity at approximately half the cost of new gas-fired generation, according to RenewableUK's CEO, positioning it as a competitive renewable energy solution.
- The UK's onshore wind supply chain could contribute up to £56bn to the economy by 2050 through increased manufacturing of components, with approximately 70% of developers' spending occurring within the UK.
Topics
Transcript
Plans for new onshore windfarms in England have reached their highest annual level in a decade, after the government overturned the Conservatives’ de facto ban in 2015. About 45 applications for new onshore windfarms were submitted in the year to March,according to a Guardian analysis of government data. Onshore wind power capacity entering the planning system has more than tripled since Labour dropped the blocks on onshore developments within days of coming to power just over two years ago, the analysis revealed. Before the party’s election victory, applications for about 9 megawatts of onshore wind were submitted in England each month on a 12-month rolling average basis. But by the beginning of this year that rate reached about 36MW a…
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