Is renewable energy planning blowing in the wind?

This paper presents the results of a survey of English and Welsh local authority planning departments which asked planning officers their views with respect to planning and renewable energy. National government dictates national policies. Local authority planners, however, feel uncoordinated and lacking when making decisions about such developments. Often battered by sophisticated assaults unleashed within the adversarial planning system arena, planning professionals are often left without the ability to compose counter-arguments with which to promote environmentally less damaging proposals in line with 'the greater good'. This has led to the rise of NIMBYism, lack of innovation and is a barrier to successful national renewable energy policy aims.