Why can’t this be done quicker?

Since the Island Plan targets and the Council of Ministers’ decision were announced, work has been ongoing to deliver the windfarm by our target of 2026. We have now completed the initial studies. The Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and design will take between 18 months and two years. This is a requirement of the Strategic Island Plan 2016 and it is necessary to make sure any environmental impact is limited as far as possible.

Our project team is working hard to ensure our parts of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and planning application process are completed on time and to the highest standard possible.

One of the misconceptions about the planning application process on Island is that it could be sped up via the use of a ‘National Policy Directive’. NPDs can be used where there is no strategic aim or objective within planning policy to help projects move quickly without waiting on policy change. However, developing onshore wind is already a strategic aim of the Isle of Man Strategic Plan, 2016. This means that providing the planning process is followed, the development is already broadly supported by existing policy. An NPD, therefore, would not help to accelerate the process.