Minister: ‘No row over wind farms’
A CABINET minister has hinted that Rishi Sunak could back down amid a growing Tory rebellion trying to force him to drop a ban on new onshore wind farms.
However, Downing Street appeared to push back on suggestions of a U-turn, stressing there is no “imminent change” to the Prime Minister’s opposition to relaxing planning rules around onshore wind.
Business Secretary Grant Shapps denied the challenge constitutes a “row” or that there is a “massive gulf” between the rebels and the Government.
Former prime ministers Boris Johnson and Liz Truss are among 30 Conservatives backing former levelling-up secretary Simon Clarke’s pro-wind amendment to the Levelling Up Bill.
Playing down the significance of the revolt, Mr Shapps said he was “completely mystified” by the headlines.
He told Times Radio: “It’s the most extraordinarily overwritten story I’ve read.
“The fact that a backbencher has an amendment in is literally something that happens every single day in Parliament.
“And his amendment, which is saying something like local people should have the final say, is actually exactly what Rishi said when he last spoke on it, and indeed what I’ve said on it in the past.
“It just strikes me it’s not really a row. “We’re all basically saying the same thing. You need local consent if you’re going to have wind power onshore, because it can be quite a big imposition on the local environment.”
Mr Shapps told Sky News that “to present it as some sort of massive gulf is completely untrue”.
However, No 10 later suggested Mr Shapps was pointing to existing rules, although the requirements around community consent put in place in 2015 are so tough to meet that they amount to an effective moratorium on new onshore wind projects.
Mr Sunak vowed to maintain the ban during his unsuccessful Tory leadership bid in the summer, when he expressed a preference for building more turbines offshore.
Asked if the Business Secretary was signalling an imminent U-turn, Mr Sunak’s official spokesman said: “You’ve got our position - I’m sure he’s (Mr Shapps) pointing to the rules that are already in place, to allow for consultation.”