SIAC WInd Energy joins wind turbine planning debate after issue raised in Commons

Fast-growing wind turbine specialist SIAC Wind Energy has joined calls for an easement in the planning approvals process for micro generator wind turbine installations after the matter was raised yesterday in the House of Commons at Prime Ministers Question Time.

A question from Michael McCann MP highlighted the plight of a wind turbine supplier having to make redundancies because planning applications for its product are stuck in town halls and bureaucracy all over the United Kingdom.

SIAC Wind Energy, the exclusive UK and Ireland distributor for the acclaimed Bergey range of small wind turbines, believes that the Prime Ministers reply hinted that the focus of reforms to the planning system is being deflected very much on large turbine schemes and that the benefits offered by smaller domestic micro wind generator installations are not being fully realised as a result, despite the current Governments stated aspiration to be the greenest ever.

Patrick Dormon, Managing Director of SIAC Wind Energy, commented: Of course, any action to smooth the path of building large wind turbine farms to harness the free energy available from the wind is to be welcomed especially given that the UK currently has 40 per cent of Europes total wind energy.

However, the Prime Ministers response did not recognise the highly significant and valuable contribution that can be made by smaller wind turbines, for which there is rapidly growing demand from agriculture, as well as in other sectors such as education and industry.

These smaller products are not visually intrusive indeed many installations are not significantly noticeable from outside the premises and landowners often feel aggrieved that a micro wind generator cannot be installed on their land with the same ease as a system of solar panels – and so a lengthy planning process simply is not appropriate.

A simplification of the planning process for those individuals and businesses seeking to generate renewable energy from means other than the sun is clearly the way forward – especially given that these turbines can not only meet some or all of the needs of those homes and businesses, but generate additional energy to supply into the network. This is all achievable at zero environmental cost.

He added: Again, we welcome the Governments action to attract wind turbine manufacturers to the UK, but for that to be realistic and sustainable the planning process needs to be amended to recognise more consistently the different spectrum of wind turbines so that installations can be progressed rapidly without excessive red tape.

For further information about SIAC Wind Energy call 01666 501377 or visit www.siacwindenergy.com.

About SIAC Wind Energy

SIAC Wind Energy is a dedicated supplier of small and medium scale wind turbines and is the exclusive distributor of Bergey Wind Power products in the UK and Ireland. The company offers a complete service from consultancy, planning, grid connection and product selection to fabrication, installation, and maintenance. It is part of the Irish-based SIAC Construction Group, one of Ireland’s largest contractors with a strong reputation and growing business in both the UK and around the world. More information can be found at www.siacwindenergy.com.