Bloomberg, Dec. 7: Prime Minister Rishi Sunak The UK has agreed to end an effective ban on new onshore wind farms, their second major climbdown in two days due to a rebellion among Conservative members of parliament.  The Department for Leveling Up said in an emailed statement on Tuesday that the government announced a consultation for local communities to decide whether they want to build new wind farms in their area. It is expected to remove the requirement for onshore wind sites to be pre-specified in the local plan.

The consultation is expected to conclude by the end of April, the department said. Ministers will also look at allowing communities that host wind farms to have their energy bills reduced. National parks and areas of outstanding natural beauty will be preserved in the revised plans.  Sunak’s government had previously sought to maintain the de facto ban on onshore air that is currently in force, but succumbed to pressure from the rebels.

The U-turn comes just a day after the government backtracked on its plan to impose mandatory housebuilding targets on local councils.  both concessions show How Sunak is grateful to different factions in his partyFrom MPs in green zones who do not want new homes built in their constituencies, to those seeking a more radical plan for economic development, to those who want to see wind farms and other projects go ahead. Each group appears to have the numbers to force the government to change direction on its policies, even though Sunak enjoys a majority of 69 in the House of Commons.

Former cabinet minister Simon Clarke, who led the Tory rebellion in favor of onshore wind, said the government had agreed a “really sensible package designed to return decisions about new onshore wind to local communities”. Was.-Agencies