Labour has unveiled plans to allow wind turbines up to 30 metres tall to be installed at schools, hospitals and farms without full planning permission, in a significant shift aimed at accelerating the rollout of small-scale renewable energy across the UK.

Under the proposed changes, ministers will extend permitted development rights, currently limited largely to domestic properties, to cover non-domestic sites including public sector buildings and commercial premises. The move is designed to enable organisations to generate their own electricity and reduce exposure to volatile energy costs.

At present, homeowners can install small turbines without planning approval, but these are capped at 15 metres when mounted on a building and 11.1 metres when placed in a garden. The new framework would more than double that height limit for non-domestic use, allowing turbines comparable in scale to mature trees to be deployed more widely.

A turbine of this size can generate up to 50 kilowatts of power, which the government says is sufficient to meet the full electricity demand of a medium-sized farm or significantly offset consumption at sites such as schools and hospitals.

Energy minister Michael Shanks said the reforms would give organisations “the tools to lower their bills and make the best use of their land”, describing onshore wind as one of the cheapest and quickest forms of energy to deploy.

The policy comes against a backdrop of heightened energy price volatility driven by global geopolitical tensions, with ministers increasingly focused on boosting domestic generation to improve long-term resilience.

However, the proposals have already drawn criticism from opposition politicians and rural campaign groups, who warn the changes could sideline local communities.

Richard Tice, Reform UK’s deputy leader and energy spokesman, described the move as “intrusive”, accusing the government of weakening planning protections in pursuit of its net zero agenda.

Similarly, Sarah Lee of the Countryside Alliance cautioned that the reforms risk setting a precedent for wider development without adequate consultation. She said the key issue was not the turbines themselves, but “location, density and consent”, adding that planning rules exist to ensure local voices are heard.

Despite the relaxation of rules, planning permission will still be required for installations in sensitive areas, including conservation zones, listed buildings and designated habitats.

Industry figures have broadly welcomed the shift, arguing it could help address one of the UK’s core energy challenges, its reliance on imported gas. Nigel Pocklington of renewable supplier Good Energy said scaling domestic renewables is “the most effective way to bring prices down over the long term”.

The reforms also attempt to address the slow uptake of small-scale wind technology in the UK. Despite permitted development rights for homes being in place since 2011, adoption has remained limited, with just 128 installations recorded over the past decade.

That lack of traction has been attributed to a combination of planning constraints, cost barriers and public resistance, challenges the government now hopes to overcome by targeting larger, non-domestic sites where energy demand is higher and installations can deliver more meaningful savings.

For businesses and public sector organisations facing rising energy costs, the policy signals a shift towards decentralised, site-level generation, but its success will likely depend on how effectively ministers balance speed of deployment with local acceptance.

Amy Ingham

Amy is a newly qualified journalist specialising in business journalism at Business Matters with responsibility for news content for what is now the UK’s largest print and online source of current business news.