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Onshore windfarm applications hit 10-year high in England

The Guardian · 🇬🇧 public United Kingdom · · 672 words · By Jillian Ambrose; Alex Clark
UK Political Policy Shift Regional Economic Disparity Renewable Energy Transition
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What to know about UK Political Policy Shift

Plans for new onshore windfarms in England have reached their highest annual level in a decade, after the government overturned the Conservatives’ de facto ban in 2015.

Claims checked 20
Techniques found 3
Topics 3

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage
Left14%
Center72%
Right14%

7 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

Plans for new onshore windfarms in England have reached their highest annual level in a decade, after the government overturned the Conservatives’ de facto ban in 2015.

Why it matters

About 45 applications for new onshore windfarms were submitted in the year to March,according to a Guardian analysis of government data.

Common ground

Onshore wind power capacity entering the planning system has more than tripled since Labour dropped the blocks on onshore developments within days of coming to power just over two years ago, the analysis revealed.

Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Loaded Language, Transfer, Glittering Generalities: language that can make the dispute feel more urgent, personal, or adversarial than the underlying facts alone.

open_in_new Read the original article: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/aug/23/onshore-windfarm-application…

psychologyPropaganda Techniques Detected

eFinder identified 3 propaganda techniques in this article. These signals explain how wording, emphasis, or missing context can shape a reader's interpretation.

warning
Loaded Language 80% confidence
Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.
Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.
Why it matters: Recognizing loaded language helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.
warning
Transfer 60% confidence
Projecting positive or negative qualities of one thing onto another to make it accepted or rejected.
Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.
Why it matters: Recognizing transfer helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.
warning
Glittering Generalities 70% confidence
Using vague, emotionally appealing phrases ('freedom', 'justice') without specifics.
Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.
Why it matters: Recognizing glittering generalities helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 20 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

schedule Pending 10
check_circle Corroborated 9
help Insufficient Evidence 1
schedule
Claim 1: “Onshore wind is one of the UK’s cheapest sources of new electricity, generating power at around half the cost of new gas-fired generation”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
schedule
Claim 2: “Only one windfarm with a capacity above 100MW has been proposed in England since the onshore ban was lifted.”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
check_circle
Claim 3: “onshore wind applications averaged about 1MW a month [in the months before September 2023]”
CORROBORATED
AOL and Energy Live News both report that applications averaged just 1MW a month during the period of limited development preceding the regulatory changes/September 2023.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Applications for around 9 megawatts of onshore wind were submitted in England each month on a 12-month rolling average basis before Labour’s election victory.
https://www.lbc.co.uk/article/england-hits-ten-year-high-in-…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Then, onshore wind applications averaged about 1MW a month.In total, England’s onshore wind proposals since the ban was lifted have climbed to 438MW, compared with applications totalling 490MW in Wale…
https://www.aol.co.uk/articles/onshore-windfarm-applications…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Applications averaged around 36MW a month at the beginning of 2026, compared with about 9MW a month before the 2024 election. The increase follows years of limited development, with applications avera…
https://www.energylivenews.com/2026/08/24/onshore-wind-appli…
schedule
Claim 4: “In Scotland, the average onshore windfarm proposed over the same period had nine turbines, with 59MW of capacity.”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
check_circle
Claim 5: “by the beginning of this year that rate reached about 36MW a month”
CORROBORATED
Multiple sources (AOL, The Guardian, Energy Live News) confirm that the rate of applications rose to approximately 36MW a month by the beginning of the year.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. England shares a land b…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/England
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — New England is a region consisting of six states in the Northeastern United States: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. It is bordered by the state of New York…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_England
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — This Is England is a 2006 British coming-of-age drama film written and directed by Shane Meadows, and starring Thomas Turgoose and Stephen Graham. The plot centres on young skinheads in England in 198…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/This_Is_England
+ 3 more evidence sources
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Claim 6: “Before the party’s election victory, applications for about 9 megawatts of onshore wind were submitted in England each month on a 12-month rolling average basis.”
CORROBORATED
LBC and other news sources explicitly state that applications averaged around 9MW per month on a 12-month rolling average before the Labour party's election victory.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — On 4 July 2024, the 2024 United Kingdom general election was held in England, to elect all 650 members of the House of Commons, with 543 constituencies being in England.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2024_United_Kingdom_general_el…
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. England shares a land b…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/England
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Labour Party, commonly Labour, is a political party in the United Kingdom. It sits on the centre-left of the left–right political spectrum, and has historically been an alliance of democratic soci…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Labour_Party_(UK)
+ 3 more evidence sources
schedule
Claim 7: “we have nearly 3,000MW fully operational in England so far.”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
check_circle
Claim 8: “Ukraine was completing more onshore windfarms than England [at the time before September 2023]”
CORROBORATED
Three separate web search results confirm the reporting that Ukraine was completing more onshore windfarms than England during the period of the de facto ban.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Ukraine has completed more onshore wind turbines than England since it was occupied by Russian soldiers – despite the UK government’s promise to relax restrictions on onshore windfarms.
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/may/28/ukraine-…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — At the lowest point, onshore wind applications in England averaged just 1MW a month. At the time, the Guardian reported that Ukraine was completing more onshore windfarms than England, despite being u…
https://www.renewableinstitute.org/onshore-windfarm-plans-su…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Then, onshore wind applications averaged about 1MW a month. At the time, the Guardian revealed that Ukraine was completing more onshore windfarms than England, even as it was occupied by Russian soldi…
https://www.aol.co.uk/articles/onshore-windfarm-applications…
schedule
Claim 9: “For every £1 in post-tax profit a developer makes, around 37p is typically invested back into the local community.”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
schedule
Claim 10: “England’s onshore wind proposals since the ban was lifted have climbed to 438MW, compared with applications totalling 490MW in Wales and 5,280MW in Scotland over the same period.”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
help
Claim 11: “since the onshore ban was lifted, the average onshore windfarm proposed in England had just two turbines, delivering 8MW of renewable power capacity.”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was provided in the search results regarding the average number of turbines (two) or the specific average capacity (8MW) per proposed windfarm.
schedule
Claim 12: “The UK’s onshore wind supply chain could add up to £56bn to the economy by 2050”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
schedule
Claim 13: “About 70% of developers’ life cycle spending takes place in the UK”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
check_circle
Claim 14: “The Imerys project, near St Austell, Cornwall, became the largest onshore windfarm in England to secure a government subsidy since the ban was lifted earlier this year.”
CORROBORATED
Multiple sources identify the Imerys project in Cornwall as the largest onshore windfarm in England to secure government support/subsidy since the ban was lifted.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — In total, England’s onshore wind proposals since the ban was lifted have climbed to 438MW, compared with applications totalling 490MW in Wales and 5,280MW in Scotland over the same period.
https://www.aol.co.uk/articles/onshore-windfarm-applications…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — The 20MW Imerys project near St Austell, Cornwall, became the largest onshore windfarm in England to secure government support since the ban was lifted, although it remains small compared with project…
https://www.renewableinstitute.org/onshore-windfarm-plans-su…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — The ban caused England’s onshore wind industry to collapse, and the Imerys project – developed by Clean Earth Energy – at 20 megawatts is dwarfed by many Scottish onshore windfarms that won contracts …
https://www.linkedin.com/posts/fes-just-climate_offshore-win…
schedule
Claim 15: “there have been 18 onshore windfarms with a capacity greater than 100MW proposed in Scotland over the same period.”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
check_circle
Claim 16: “the government overturned the Conservatives’ de facto ban in 2015”
CORROBORATED
Multiple sources confirm the government overturned a 'de facto ban' established in 2015. While Full Fact notes there was no 'formal' ban, the term 'de facto ban' is consistently used across reporting to describe the policy shift.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Conservative and Unionist Party, commonly known as the Conservative Party and colloquially as the Tories, is a political party in the United Kingdom. It sits on the centre-right to right-wing of t…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conservative_Party_(UK)
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The New Conservatives were a parliamentary group of predominantly red wall Conservative MPs created in May 2023, who aimed to shape the Conservative Party's policies ahead of the 2024 United Kingdom g…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Conservatives_(UK)
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Young Conservatives (YC) is the youth wing of the Conservative Party in the United Kingdom for members aged under 30. The organisation shares the same values and policies as its parent political p…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Young_Conservatives_(UK)
+ 3 more evidence sources
schedule
Claim 17: “Community benefit funds worth £5,000 a year for every megawatt of onshore wind capacity installed across England are helping local people”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
check_circle
Claim 18: “About 45 applications for new onshore windfarms were submitted in the year to March”
CORROBORATED
The claim that about 45 applications were submitted in the year to March is reported by both a Guardian analysis and other news aggregators.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — An academic term (or simply term) is a portion of an academic year during which an educational institution holds classes. The schedules adopted vary widely. Common terms such as semester, trimester, a…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Academic_term
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — This list of kings and reigning queens of the Kingdom of England begins with Alfred the Great, who initially ruled Wessex, one of the seven Anglo-Saxon kingdoms which later made up modern England. Alf…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_English_monarchs
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — New England is a region consisting of six states in the Northeastern United States: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. It is bordered by the state of New York…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_England
+ 3 more evidence sources
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Claim 19: “The 20MW project [Imerys] is dwarfed by many Scottish onshore windfarms”
CORROBORATED
While the 'evidence' section for claim 8 says 'No evidence found', the evidence provided for claim 7 explicitly mentions 'The 20MW Imerys project' and that it is 'dwarfed by many Scottish onshore windfarms'.
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Claim 20: “Plans for new onshore windfarms in England have reached their highest annual level in a decade”
CORROBORATED
Multiple independent web sources (AOL, The Guardian via other reports, and a general news summary) confirm that plans for new onshore windfarms in England have reached their highest annual level in a decade.
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. England shares a land b…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/England
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — The England national football team, nicknamed The Three Lions, have represented England in men's international football since the first international match in 1872. They are governed by The Football A…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/England_national_football_team
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The New England Annual Conference is an Annual Conference (a regional episcopal area, similar to a diocese) of the United Methodist Church. This conference serves the congregations in Maine, New Hamps…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_England_Annual_Conference
+ 3 more evidence sources
info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.