Onshore wind planning and consenting in England and Wales: regimes, 2024–2025 reforms, NSIP/DNS/SIP thresholds, procedure, EIA/HRA, permitted development, conditions, and routes of challenge

Published by a LexisNexis Planning expert

Practice notes

For more hands-on guidance on pivotal legal matters in the wind sector, consult the textbook Wind: Projects and Transactions for practical depth and context, for further reading and reference.

What is onshore wind energy generation?

Onshore wind energy is produced by installing wind turbines on land to harness moving air so as to turn it into electricity. As air streams past the blades, the rotor spins, thereby driving the generator within the nacelle and converting kinetic energy to electrical power.

Wind turbines have five principal components, namely:

rotor blades
rotor hub
generator (housed in the nacelle)
tower
foundation

Further essential features of onshore wind schemes include cabling usually buried underground, a substation linking the project to the national grid, and an access road or track enabling construction, decommissioning and maintenance vehicles to reach the site during all project stages.

Onshore wind is widely regarded as a green, renewable source because no fossil fuels are burnt to make the electricity; instead it depends on a naturally occurring resource that does not run out (ie wind).

For additional practical guidance on legal topics in the wind sector, also see the textbook Wind: Projects and Transactions.

Planning regime for onshore wind energy generating...

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Paul Maile

Eversheds Sutherland

Paul is a Partner specialising in planning, infrastructure and compulsory purchase and leads the Midlands Planning Team. He has appeared as advocate at numerous high profile public inquiries, and has a particular specialism in energy, infrastructure and residential projects. Paul's workload has included promoting the first onshore wind project requiring a Development Consent Order under the Planning Act 2008; advising on offshore wind projects coming forward under Round 3; promoting a major new reservoir to safeguard future drinking water supplies to the East Midlands; and securing consent for revised proposals to redevelop RAF Upper Heyford comprising over 1000 houses and commercial development.Paul's expertise covers all aspects of the planning process including application strategy, consultation requirements, Development Consent Orders, planning supporting statements, environmental impact assessment, representation at appeals, s106 Agreements, infrastructure agreements, compulsory purchase, town and village green...

Duncan Williams

Deloitte

Duncan specialises in all aspects of the planning process including promoting schemes through the planning system, s106 Agreements, infrastructure agreements, legal challenges / judicial review, planning appeals, advertising regulations, assets of community value and planning due diligence.He has particular expertise in the residential development sector where he is regularly instructed by national house builder clients. Recent highlights include a 1,200 house urban extension to Leighton Buzzard and a 2,300 dwelling development near Cirencester.In addition Duncan has extensive experience acting in the Energy Sector and on corporate transactions where recent notable instructions include helping secure consent for a 4 turbine wind farm near Port Talbot in Wales and on the acquisition of several large scale solar farms for investors.In respect of infrastructure projects Duncan advised Birmingham City Council on the planning aspects of their sale of the redeveloped Birmingham New Street Station, the recent sale of the...

Web page updated on 22/05/2026

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