The Section 28 Interim Guidelines for Planning Authorities on Statutory Plans, Renewable Energy and Climate Change, which date from 2017, were revoked with effect from Friday 16 December.

Peter Burke, minister of state with responsibility for local government and planning, said: “Since the publication of the guidelines, there have been a number of significant and critical developments in relation to climate change and renewable energy which I have given due consideration to, in the context of my decision and which supersede those documents listed in Section 3 of Interim Guidelines for Planning Authorities on Statutory Plans, Renewable Energy and Climate Change published in 2017.”

The minister noted that the government’s Climate Action Plan 2021 commits to publishing a framework to set out targets for onshore renewable electricity development to inform spatial plans.

“It is desirable that such outputs and targets would be available to inform county development plans and that potential for renewables would not be prescribed prematurely, particularly given the life-cycle of development plans, which span six years,” Mr Burke said.

“This can be applied to development plans when the framework to set regional and local targets for onshore renewable electricity development is available.”

He also referenced the need for the scheduled and sequential preparation and publication of the relevant nationally and regionally integrated frameworks and plans to inform development plans, to give the required effect to determining targets and potential measures that can be proportionately and reasonably applied at local authority level.

An updated Climate Action Plan will be considered by government ministers this week.