NPF3 to decide where windfarms to go? Update 1

According to an item in 'Planning; Energy and Environment Weekly - Monday 09 July 2012':

'Planners can help the Scottish government meet its renewable energy targets if they get the right support, according to a report published by the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) Scotland.'  The report can be found here.

The Item continues:

'The Scottish government aims to generate 30 per cent of all the country’s energy needs from renewable sources by 2020, as well as reduce energy consumption by 12 per cent.

In its report, RTPI Scotland describes the targets as "challenging" but says the Scottish government should provide planning authorities with "guidance, training and resources to help them cope with the additional responsibilities and workload brought about by the targets".

The report also says that the planned National Planning Framework 3 (NPF3) provides an opportunity for the Scottish government to outline in spatial terms where the most suitable areas for land and marine renewable developments should be.

These locations should be, the report argues, "based on maximising generation whilst minimising impact", and integrated with plans for transport and distribution infrastructure.'

I have had a quick gander at the briefing report and here are a few extracts:

...This paper identifies the need for a clear, consolidated outline of Scotland’s

progress towards meeting the targets. It also puts the case that an opportunity

still exists in National Planning Framework 3 (NPF3) to support renewables

development by clearly articulating the areas best placed for them based on

maximising generation whilst minimising impact. The paper also outlines the

ongoing need to keep Planning Authorities up to date, given constantly

changing technologies and the requirement to promote a ‘diverse range’ of

them to help meet the targets.

...National Planning Framework 2 (NPF2) did not provide a broad spatial

scheme outlining renewable resources and desired developments across

Scotland. If it had, Planning Authorities would have had a national perspective

on their Authority’s role in meeting renewables targets, and could havetargeted their 

resources and designed their development management processes to support speedy 

processing of planning applications.

...Recommendation 1

Use NPF3 to provide national spatial guidance (land use and marine) on

the appropriate distribution and energy mix of renewable developments

across Scotland, publishing updates on progress made towards

meeting the targets and providing guidance on criteria for Local

Authorities and Key Agencies to use when responding to renewables

applications.

I recommend a read of the report, it is quite accessible and compared to many free from too much jargon.  

One thing that is not clear to me is whether or not a 'need for such developments' would be established through NPF3.

(I have just tried to contact Craig McLaren **(on list of speakers at the page reached by clicking on his name), National Director of RTPI Scotland, since, according to the briefing paper, he is the point of contact for further discussion.  I hope to be able to chat with him in the not too distant future and will update the post as soon as further info becomes available.)


** Podcast where Mr McLaren discusses a number of things including renewables, sustainable economic development, charrettes...