The Landscape Institute supports the expansion of onshore wind as part of the net-zero transition, and we want to see it delivered well. However, we have concerns that the proposed permitted development rights framework for onshore wind turbines could remove the professional scrutiny that is needed to ensure turbines are sensitively sited.

We recommend that a simplified Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment (LVIA), aligned with Natural England’s National Character Area (NCA) profiles, be mandatory for every prior notification. We also suggest:

• Extending exclusions to include conservation areas and the settings of National Parks and National Landscapes (with a minimum 2km buffer).
• Replacing ‘curtilage’ with ‘land holding’ to help prevent estates from inadvertently creating informal wind clusters without strategic assessment.
• Stronger guidance on preserving heritage settings, hedgerows and habitats during cabling works.
• Clearer decommissioning conditions requiring full infrastructure removal and ground reinstatement.