The opportunities and challenges for onshore wind in England

After nearly a decade of policy stagnation, England’s onshore wind sector is finally seeing a revival. The recent lifting of the de-facto ban on onshore wind development marks a critical moment for developers and industrial energy users alike. For the first time in years, the alignment of policy, grid reform, and market need presents a real opportunity to rekindle this essential part of the UK’s renewable energy mix in England.

Policy and grid transformations are removing barriers

The policy changes are both subtle and significant. Updates to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) late last year have re-opened the door to onshore wind in England, softening previous constraints that effectively prevented new developments from proceeding. Projects no longer need to be explicitly backed in local plans, and the ‘community veto’ has been reframed to allow for more practical routes to consent. For developers who know how to engage strategically with stakeholders and communities, this means that well-considered projects now have a genuine chance of success.
But policy is only part of the picture. The grid connection landscape is undergoing its own transformation. The newly developed Clean Power 2030 action plan [1] and associated wide ranging grid reforms [2] aim to completely restructure the grid connections process, aligning it more closely with project readiness and regional system needs. This regional need element will prioritise generation and storage projects which can be connected with the least spend and time required for grid reinforcement. This has major implications for onshore wind in the English regions, which is generally considered to be ‘undersubscribed’, as the capacity will be split by both area and technology to prioritise grid connection access for those projects able to connect.

There is a 4GW opportunity for onshore wind in England

England currently has around 2.86GW of operational onshore wind capacity. Only 53MW is under construction, and only 130MW is in the planning pipeline. This adds up to a pipeline that represents less than 7% of the additional capacity England needs to meet its 2030 target of 7GW. To close this gap, more than 4GW of onshore wind will need to be developed and built in the next five years – an ambitious task, but one that presents a wealth of opportunity for early movers.

While Scotland has already exceeded its 2030 wind targets and Wales is progressing toward significant transmission-scale projects, several English distribution network regions remain well below their expected target and are good options for new development. Our analysis shows that areas such as the Midlands (served by National Grid Electricity Distribution), the North-East (Northern Powergrid), the North-West (Electricity North West), and the East of England (UK Power Networks) have the greatest headroom. These regions collectively represent an opportunity for more than 3GW of onshore wind capacity yet to be developed if they are to reach their 2030 targets.

Scaling up to new heights

These distribution-scale projects are well suited to rural and semi-rural landscapes, especially when designed with sensitivity to local context. They also offer a more flexible approach to integrating renewables into the grid, especially when paired with industrial demand or co-located technologies such as storage. For industrial clients, the private wire model becomes particularly compelling, offering a route to clean, cost-stable electricity supply with minimal exposure to wider market volatility.

However, the scale of the turbines needs consideration – especially when we are talking about projects in semi-rural areas. Since 2015 there has been a significant increase in the scale of turbines being offered by manufacturers, with 4-6MW turbines of minimum height to blade tip of 150m-180m. These are a significantly larger scale than the existing onshore wind portfolio in England, and it may take some time for planners and local residents to get comfortable with the concept of this increase in scale. Locogen has extensive experience in developing this scale in Scotland through securing higher consents and understanding how best to approach these discussions. Furthermore, the majority of manufacturers have discontinued production of <150m turbine models which makes development more challenging if sites are constrained to lower tip heights. There is however an increasingly competitive market for those looking for refurbished wind turbines with viable options available both from turbines being repowered in the UK and Europe. Locogen have significant experience in the development, installation, financing and operation of refurbished turbines and the capital cost savings can make for attractive options even in a subsidy free environment. We have recently completed the first refurbished multi-turbine wind farm in the UK, so this doesn’t have to just be for single turbine sites.

Act now to progress your project

For developers, the message is clear: the window is open, but it will not stay open indefinitely. As more projects come forward, both planning departments and DNOs will come under pressure. Acting now, while headroom exists and local authorities are actively updating their plans, is essential to securing viable grid and planning positions.

For industrial organisations, this is the ideal moment to explore how onshore wind can form part of a broader energy strategy. Whether through private wire agreements, co-location with storage, or integration with wider net-zero goals, distribution-scale wind offers a route to meaningful carbon and cost savings. The return of onshore wind in England is more than a policy correction. It is a strategic opportunity to reshape how energy is generated, distributed, and consumed locally. With the right partners and a proactive approach, this new wave of development can be both commercially and socially transformative, and help deliver the strategic local generation required.

How we can help

Locogen were one of the very few organisations to secure planning consent for multi-turbine sites in England during the more restrictive years. Our success in those cases was the result of careful site selection, in-depth feasibility works, and early, honest engagement with local communities and planning authorities. We understand the nuances of local and national policy, the realities of grid connection strategy, and the importance of working transparently with stakeholders throughout the development process.

We also bring lessons learned from much larger wind projects across Scotland, where we continue to support wind developments from feasibility through to construction and operation. This gives us a UK-wide perspective on best practice, from environmental assessments and consenting, to owner’s engineering, construction support, and asset optimisation.

[1] https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/clean-power-2030-action-plan
[2] https://www.neso.energy/industry-information/connections/connections-reform