Community-level renewable energy planning in sensitive areas

This paper looks at medium-scale renewable energy systems suitable for community-level developments, exploring the impact of the planning system on the scope for deployment and identifying ways of keeping schemes within limits that are likely to be acceptable. It pays particular attention to environmentally sensitive locations such as areas of outstanding natural beauty. The findings, which are generally applicable in a UK environment, are exemplified and demonstrated by means of a case study based on an area of outstanding natural beauty in north east England in which there is local community interest in sustainability matters generally. Systems considered include air source heat pumps, biomass heating, wind energy, solar photovoltaic and anaerobic digestion.