After a day of disagreement, the Diependaele Government has reached a compromise about the issue today. For example, in the residential area, the distance rule of “three times the tip height” for windmills of 200 meters and more is standing up. It is possible to deviate from that rule of thumb, but only in specific situations, in particular “when the assessment shows that there is no negative impact on good spatial planning”. Then the competent minister can still permit the project.
An exception is provided for wind turbines in seaport areas or on large industrial sites. The current standards continue to apply there and therefore extra wind turbines can be added.
“This decision provides more clarity and legal certainty for both local residents and the wind sector and clearly indicates where wind turbines can still be planned,” say ministers of the Jo Brouns area (CD&V), Energie Melissa Depraetere (Vooruit) and Prime Minister Matthias Diependaele (N-VA) in a joint press release.