This map shows the areas proposed to be safeguarded for wind development.
Accelerating the decarbonisation and decentralisation of the energy system in the UK is essential to mitigating climate change and, in declaring a Climate Emergency, we acknowledged the need to significantly increase renewable and low-carbon energy generation in South Gloucestershire.
In addition to its contribution to mitigating the effects of a changing climate, increasing the generation of renewable and low carbon energy can also bring wider environmental and economic benefits and improve the security of our energy supply.
Since Phase 2, we have reconsidered our position slightly and are now proposing that those areas should be safeguarded for wind development. This alteration of our approach reflects that some of those areas proposed for safeguarding are in close proximity to important heritage assets and landscape features where the potential for ‘big’ wind development may be more limited, but there may be potential for smaller scale to come forward. This updated approach, we consider, provides a degree a flexibility, consistent with our overall desire to increase renewable energy generation across South Gloucestershire to bring forward wind development, balanced against the need to protect high value environmental assets.
You can read more about our proposed approach in the renewable energy section of the Phase 3 Local Plan consultation document.
As part of this, we are also seeking your views on draft policies relating to renewable and low carbon energy system and community energy.
Click on the map below to get started. You can look at any of the areas we are proposing to be safeguarded on the map.
You can select each individual site by clicking on it on the map. You can then comment on the individual site by clicking on the green tab ‘Comment on this site’ which will be under the site information.
The sites, designations and information shown on this map is part of our Phase 3 (Regulation 18) consultation, are not ‘adopted’ and carry limited weight in determination of any planning application until the new Local Plan is adopted.