黑洞社区

In a speech to the Green Alliance, Kelly launched a consultation which recommends that people will no longer need to apply for planning permission to put 鈥榤icrogeneration鈥� devices on their homes where it is clear there is little or no impact on neighbouring properties.

She said: 鈥淚 believe that the local planning system should support efforts to tackle climate change rather than acting as a barrier, but it is important that we ensure that there are clear, common-sense safeguards on noise, siting and size and that the unique features of conservation areas are protected鈥�.

Local authorities will retain the right to restrict planning permission in exceptional circumstances where the benefit of the technology is clearly questionable and outweighed by its impact on the local environment.

Responding to the consultation, Dave Sowden, chief executive of the Micropower Council said: 鈥淭he current planning system says "no" unless there is a good reason to consider otherwise. In future it will say 鈥測es鈥� within properly considered, pre-defined limits. This will make a big difference to large numbers of customers wanting to take up microgeneration but put off today by bureaucracy and inconsistency.

The closing date for responses to consultation paper 鈥楥hanges to permitted development鈥� is 27 June 2007.