Local authorities have been accused of "dragging their feet" over the mounting number of planning applications for small scale wind turbines.

The introduction of the Government's Feed-in-Tariff scheme in April last year was intended to hasten the number of homeowners and businesses considering installing turbines.

However, the 'incentivisation' has failed to deliver the expected results because local authorities have allowed a massive logjam of applications to build up.

There is believed to be as much as a full year's worth of wind turbines stuck in the planning process.

David Hunt, a Director with leading renewable energy company Eco Environments, said: "The biggest problem is the total lack of a consistent approach from councils across the UK. There are a handful of councils who have a strong green agenda and are happy to support Government initiatives, but the majority are still stuck in the dark ages.


"While it is good that the Government is seemingly supporting the green economy, support is no longer enough. The Prime Minister now needs to ensure that their words are backed up by the strongest possible actions to ensure that their policies are being implemented effectively and consistently on the ground.

"We have a number of customers whose applications for small scale wind turbines are stuck in planning and we know of hundreds more across the UK in a similar position."

One leading small wind turbine manufacturer, Scotland-based Proven Energy, successfully lobbied their constituency MP Michael McCann who raised the issue in Parliament at Prime Minister’s Questions. David Cameron said he would instruct the Business Department to meet with the company as soon as possible to discuss the issue.

The row over wind turbine planning applications comes just six weeks after Eco Environments launched their own campaign to end the planning disarray surrounding Solar PV installations.

The campaign quickly won the support of Shadow Energy Ministers Huw Irranca-Davies and Luciana Berger who lobbied Energy Minister Greg Barker.

Cathy Debenham, the Founder of renewable energy champion You Gen, said: "What is the point of Government making laws if councils are going to ignore them? Any council which is pursuing such an agenda deserves to be held to account as their actions fly completely in the face of the Government's policy of encouraging homeowners and businesses to embrace renewable energy solutions wherever possible."

(CD/DW)