Jenny Wigley KC contributes expert legal insight…

Yesterday (12 November 2025), the Energy Security and Net Zero Committee held an oral evidence session as part of its inquiry into “Unlocking community energy at scale”. The session brought together leading figures from law, planning policy, and the community energy sector to explore how the UK can better empower local communities to develop renewable-energy projects and meet the Government’s target of 8 gigawatts of local and community generation by 2030.

Jenny Wigley KC appeared before the Committee to provide her expertise on planning law and the potential impediments to the legal ability to give positive weight to community ownership models in the planning balance. The session included discussion of what aspects of community energy development can and cannot be taken into account as material planning considerations and what may be needed to change this. There was discussion of the implications of the “community led” definition and the Supreme Court judgment in R (oao Wright) v Resilient Energy Severndale Ltd [2019] UKSC 53, a landmark case concerning judicial review of a planning permission for a community wind-turbine development (a case in which Jenny had appeared for the developer).

About the Inquiry

The Unlocking Community Energy at Scale inquiry, led by the Energy Security and Net Zero Committee, aims to identify the reforms and incentives necessary to expand community ownership of renewable-energy generation and improve local energy resilience. The 12 November 2025 session brought together experts from law, academia, and the energy industry to provide evidence to the Committee.