Electricity projects set to be allowed on forestry land under 'new powers'

MINISTERS SAY RENEWABLES MOVE WILL BRING IN MORE INCOME FOR FORESTRY ENGLAND TO DELIVER ON CLIMATE PLANS

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NEW powers will pave the way for Forestry England to host renewable electricity projects on the public forest estate, the Government has said.

The measures, which come into force on Friday, allow solar and wind developments across land managed by Forestry England, which oversees the country’s 1,500 woods and forests covering more than 250,000 hectares.

The electricity generated will be both used on site and sold to the National Grid, the Environment Department (Defra) said.

The projects will need to go through the planning process, including environmental surveys and stakeholder consultations, and may require Government consent as well as the usual planning permissions to go ahead.