Supporting community-scale projects

Friends of the Lake District uses its Environmental Improvement Grants scheme to support renewable energy projects that conserve the landscape.

We use our Policy Principles to decide our position on energy issues. In particular, we encourage improved management of energy demand and increased energy efficiency across all sectors before the creation of new generation capacity. 

Friends of the Lake District places specific emphasis on the issue of connections to the grid/network. We believe that power lines should be underground wherever possible, to avoid damaging impacts on the landscape. Through our Overhead Wires project we work to reduce the number of wires in the National Parks and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty. 

We have objected to large-scale wind energy proposals which threaten, individually or cumulatively, the special qualities and character of Cumbria’s landscapes. Wind energy generation should be part of a range of technologies including onshore and offshore wind, tidal energy, energy crops, hydro electric, combined heat and power, and use of photovoltaic materials and we encourage development of such schemes where they have minimal landscape impact.

Friends of the Lake District does not take a position on the principle of nuclear power generation but we think that the value of nuclear power generation must be rigorously evaluated against its social and landscape impacts. In terms of both development of existing sites and of new build options, we would view any proposals on the basis of the impact on landscape character, public enjoyment and natural beauty, in both local and wider areas, whilst having regard for the local socio-economic impact.