Rishi Sunak has staged his second climbdown in as many days to avoid a damaging rebellion by his own MPs, with the government poised to lift the de-facto ban on onshore wind.
Ministers are to consult on plans to allow new developments in areas where there is demonstrable local support.
During the Tory leadership race this summer, Mr Sunak vowed never to “relax the ban on onshore wind in England, instead focusing on building more turbines offshore”.
But he was facing a growing backbench revolt on the issue, including from former Tory prime ministers Boris Johnson and Liz Truss.
Many Tory MPs want the UK to strengthen its energy independence in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
In a statement, the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities said that the government would launch a consultation “to explore how local authorities demonstrate local support and respond to views of their communities when considering onshore wind development in England.”
Onerous planning restrictions have effectively banned new onshore wind developments in England since 2014.
Liberal Democrat energy spokesperson Wera Hobhouse said that if the government had U-turned earlier “families and pensioners up and down the country could have saved money on their bills” this winter “but sadly this is all too late.”
She added that even the climbdown would still leave it far too difficult” to get onshore wind projects off the ground.
On Monday the prime minister ditched compulsory house-building targets for local areas, a key plank of his planning reforms, after 60 Tory MPs threatened to vote against the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill.
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