There are two categories for wind turbines, one for those on detached houses or outbuildings to any house and another one for stand alone or freestanding turbines. Only a single turbine per house is allowed, however one cannot have one in each category.
A wind turbine on a detached house or an outbuilding to any house does not require planning permission provided all these criteria are met:
- It complies with Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS) Planning Standards or equivalent. This is a measure of the noise resulting from the turbine. The company that fits the turbine should ensure it meets this standard and should supply you with documentation to demonstrate this.
- There is not already an air source heat pump at the property
- No part of the wind turbine, including blades, would protrude more than 3 metres above the highest part of the roof, excluding the chimney, or be more than 15 metres off the ground, whichever is lower
- The blades are at least 5 metres above ground level
- No part of the turbine is within 5 metres from all boundaries
- The swept area of any blade is less than 3.8 sq. metres
- It is not on land safeguarded for aviation or defence purposes, on a site designated as a Scheduled Monument or within the curtilage of a Listed Building, a National Park, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, an area designated under s41(3) of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, the Norfolk Broads or a World Heritage Site
- If it is in a Conservation Area, it would not be on a wall or roof slope which fronts a highway
These permitted development rights are subject to the conditions that the blades shall be made of non-reflective materials, the turbine shall so as far as practicable be installed so as to minimise its effect on the external appearance of the building and the amenity of the area and when it is no longer required it shall be removed as soon as reasonably practicable.
A stand alone wind turbine within the garden of any house or block of flats does not require planning permission provided all these criteria are met:
- It complies with Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS) Planning Standards or equivalent. This is a measure of the noise resulting from the turbine. The company that fits the turbine should ensure it meets this standard and should supply you with documentation to demonstrate this.
- There is not already an air source heat pump at the property
- The blades are at least 5 metres above ground level
- No more than one stand alone wind turbine is situated within the curtilage.
- There is not an existing wind turbine installed on the property.
- The highest part would not exceed 11.1 metres in height.
- The swept area of any blade is less than 3.8 sq. metres
- It is not on land safeguarded for aviation or defence purposes, on a site designated as a Scheduled Monument or within the curtilage of a Listed Building, a National Park, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, an area designated under s41(3) of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, the Norfolk Broads or a World Heritage Site
- An installation is not permitted if any part of the stand-alone wind turbine (including blades) would be in a position which is less than a distance equivalent to the overall height of the turbine (including blades) plus 10 per cent of its height when measured from any point along the property boundary.
These permitted development rights are subject to the conditions that the blades shall be made of non-reflective materials, the turbine shall so as far as practicable be installed so as to minimise its effect on the external appearance of the building and the amenity of the area and when it is no longer required it shall be removed as soon as reasonably practicable.
If you are considering the installation of either type of wind turbine you may wish to discuss with the Local Planning Authority for your area whether all of these limits and conditions will be met.