Addressing end-of-life data gaps in wind infrastructure: What data can be obtained from the planning process?
During a three-month internship, funded through the CATE Internship Fund at UWE Bristol, Ciara Leary Higgins, a Geography graduate from the UWE Bristol, undertook a short-term research project entitled: Addressing end-of-life data gaps in wind infrastructure: What data can be obtained from the planning process?
The primary aim of the internship was to investigate the availability of end of life (EoL) data for onshore wind infrastructure in planning records to evaluate how Great Britain’s planning system records and governs wind farm decommissioning. The study was guided by three core research questions:
RQ1- Where and how is decommissioning addressed in the planning records of onshore wind farms that have been decommissioned?
RQ2- How has the treatment of decommissioning of onshore wind in the planning system evolved from the 1990s to the 2010s?
RQ3- What does fully decommissioned mean in practice (e.g., permanent removal versus repowering)?
RESEARCH APPROACH: To address these questions, the study undertook a review of 27 commercial onshore wind developments, labelled as decommissioned in the RenewableUK EnergyPulse (REUK) database (2026). The selected sites were located across:
England: 19 sites
Wales: 4 sites
Scotland: 4 sites.
Collectively these developments represented 97.88 MW and 216 turbines commissioned between 1991 and 2015. A systematic searching protocol was developed and applied to each site. This involved identifying, accessing, reviewing, coding and analysing planning documents associated with the selected developments.
KEY FINDINGS: The research uncovered several important themes to the governance and documentation of wind farm EoL activities:
- Ambiguity surrounding the classification of decommissioning and repowering. Repowered windfarms are frequently classified as ‘decommissioned’ development, creating ambiguity in planning documentation and potentially obscuring the distinction between site closure and site renewal;
- Evolution of planning conditions over time. Earlier projects were more difficult to locate and generally contained less detail around decommissioning data. More recent planning permission demonstrated a stronger emphasis on EoL requirements;
- Significant documentation gaps. Many pre 2000 planning records remain inaccessible online, often requiring the consultation of national library archives or to the submission of Freedom of information requests to planning authorities.
- Inconsistency across planning records. Decommissioning appears in and is worded differently between cases highlighting fragmentation in planning records.
- Limited visibility of financial securities. Online planning documents often lack information relating to decommissioning bonds or other financial security mechanisms intended to guarantee site restoration.
MAIN RESULTS: A key finding of the research was the existence of a substantial “paper trail gap”. Digital planning files were unavailable for 15 of the 27 sites reviewed (55.6%) limiting the ability to track and evaluate EoL obligations and outcomes.
The analysis also showed that planning conditions relating to decommissioning have evolved throughout the 1990s to 2010s, with an improved focus on decommissioning specifications.
Importantly, the study found that among the 27 wind farms reviewed and identified as decommissioned, available planning records indicated that 16 sites (59.3%) had been already repowered. This suggests that decommissioning data and statistics derived from existing datasets should be interpreted with caution, as they may conflate genuine site closure with the replacement and upgrading of existing infrastructure.
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR IMPROVING EoL PLANNING GOVERNANCE: The research identified several priory areas for strengthening wind infrastructure planning governance.
1. Clear guidance and quality standards
There is a need to establish clear quality benchmarks for the level of detail expected in planning submissions. Such guidance should
- Define minimum information requirements;
- Specify how and where relevant documentation should be stored and made accessible for public review,
- Establish indicative timelines for reviewing and updating decommissioning plans and associated documentation
2. Standardised decommissioning templates.
Standardised templates for decommissioning conditions should be developed for EoL. These should provide a consistent framework:
- Site restoration requirements;
- financial securities arrangement and bonds;
- Monitoring and reporting arrangements and obligations;
- Post-decommissioning compliance and verification procedures.
3. Digitisation of Historical Planning records
A targeted digitisation campaign is needed to support planning authorities in scanning, indexing and uploading physical paper files into open-access registers to ensure historical obligations become widely accessible. Improving access to legacy documentation would enhance transparency and accountability while supporting future research and policy development.
Alongside planning digitisation initiatives, planning system should adopt consistent approaches for recording and monitoring EoL outcomes, including decommissioning activities, site restoration measures, and repowering activities.
CONCLUSION: This internship has demonstrated that substantial gaps remain in the availability, accessibility and consistency of EoL planning data for onshore wind development. Addressing these issues through improved guidance, standardisation and digitisation can strengthen EoL infrastructure governance and provide a more reliable evidence base for monitoring renewable energy assets throughout their lifecycle.
A copy of the full report can be accessed here: WEELO Planning_ Final Report.pdf