Onshore wind planning approval rates by council

What is the average onshore wind scheme approval rate in the UK?

Across 190 UK planning authorities, 68% of decided onshore wind schemes applications were approved — 1,230 granted against 583 refused, from 1,813 decisions in total. That is computed from recorded outcomes in the government Renewable Energy Planning Database, not estimated. 25,433 MW has been consented, with 534 applications still awaiting a decision.

How long does onshore wind scheme planning permission take?

The median UK authority decides a onshore wind scheme application in 11.5 months, measured from the submission date to the decision date recorded in REPD. The spread is wide: the fastest authorities here decide in around 3.2 months, while the slowest take 40.6 months or more. Speed and approval rate are largely independent — a permissive council is not necessarily a fast one.

Which councils approve the most onshore wind schemes?

By volume, Scottish Government (S36), Aberdeenshire, Highland have decided the most. By approval rate among authorities with a meaningful caseload, Bristol, City of (100%), Shetland Islands (100%), Newry, Mourne and Down (100%) lead. Every authority with 5 or more decisions is listed below with its own page.

What does this data not tell me?

REPD records outcomes but not refusal REASONS, so nothing here explains why a scheme failed — landscape and cumulative impact, the most common real drivers of refusal, are professional judgements that appear in no open dataset. It covers schemes of roughly 150 kW and above, is published quarterly, and small caseloads make percentages volatile. Use it to compare authorities and set expectations, not to predict an individual decision.

All 75 authorities with 5+ onshore wind decisions

Other technologies