John Prescott has called for councils to be given more responsibility for the UK meeting its renewable energy targets as figures were released yesterday showing that three quarters of proposed wind farm capacity has failed to win local planning approval.

Mr Prescott told delegates at the British Wind Energy Association (BWEA) conference in Liverpool that councils were "failing to meet their obligations" in terms of renewables, and that moving towards renewable generation was too important to allow objections to wind farm developments on aesthetic grounds.

He suggested that the fears over ruining "chocloate box" views could be behind figures released yesterday, which showed that in 2009 local council approved just 25% of proposed wind farm capacity compared to 63% in 2007.

The former deputy prime minister said that local authorities should take more responsibility for energy generation by encouraging them to zone sites suitable for wind farm development and deliver renewable energy targets at a local level, with sanctions for failure. He also said that to reduce the amount of applications going to planning inquiries, local authorities should foot the bill.

In a speech that was backed by Friends of the Earth, but dismissed by anti-wind campaigners as a "puerile attack", Mr Prescott declared: "It's not your backyard, it's ours."

"We cannot let a vocal minority stop our move to the low carbon economy andd stop us meeting our global emissions targets. We cannot let the squires and gentry stop us meeting our moral obligation to pass on our world to our children and our children's children," he added.

Report

Mr Prescott's words came after figures in the BWEA's "State of the Industry Report" suggested that three quarters of wind farm capacity proposed failed to win approval in 2009. January to August this year saw 45 consents, totalling 682MW, which is on course to match the 66 approvals in 2008, but the average size of wind farm consented is down, meaning total capacity consented is unlikely to match the 2,160MW approved last year.

BWEA chief executive, Maria McCaffery, said a 25% approval rate was "truly shocking" compared to a 70% rate for roads, housing and supermarkets.

She said: "The planning system is broken when it comes to wind energy. Winning approvals at appeal is second best for everyone, it is expensive, slow and cumbersome for developers and frustrating and confusing for local people. We need a fresh, new approach to local decision making where Councils are not unduly swayed by vocal NIMBY pressure groups but make their judgements on the facts."

"Although there is enough wind in the system to meet the 2020 renewable energy targets half the pipeline of these projects still needs to win approval - a local council approval rate of 25% threatens the delivery of that target in time," she added.

Support

Nick Rau, energy campaigner at environmental group Friends of the Earth, backed Mr Precott's view that councils should be obliged to identify local sites where developments such as wind farms could be built and called for new planning guidance to set renewable energy targets for local authorities across the country.

He said: "Councils must understand that they have a vital role to play in cutting UK greenhouse gas emissions and delivering green energy.

"The planning system must help local communities find real solutions to climate change, and councils must get proactive and help people reap the financial and employment benefits of having community-led green energy projects developed in their local area," he added.

The campaign group had also supported a similar speech Mr Prescott gave at the launch of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe's New Deal campaign, in August (see this NewEnergyFocus.com story).

However, the anti-wind farm National Alliance of Wind Farm Action Groups (Nawag) said Mr Prescott's speech was a "puerile attack on 'Nimbyism'".

The group released a statement yesterday that said: "Those of us campaigning against inappropriately sited onshore wind turbine proposals believe that the current gold-rush to wind represents a scandalous scam against the British taxpayer.

"Nawag believes there should be a much more balanced renewable energy policy with a significant increase in Government and private industry investment in renewable sources other than wind including solar, wave and tidal power."