development
Bishop’s Castle in south Shropshire is not on the gas grid, so most of the heating comes from oil and LPG. The heat and wind project aims to turn renewable energy from the wind and sun into heat replacing oil boilers.
After four years work planning permission was granted for a 900kW wind turbine just outside the town on 23rd June 2025. This is one of only a few community wind turbines to be given permission in the last ten years and one of the first since the Government changed the wind turbine planning guidance in 2024.
In early 2024 the Bishop’s Castle Heat and Wind project project was awarded a substantial Community Energy Fund (CEF) grant to carry out further studies. Sharenergy are managing the project on behalf of Shropshire & Telford Community Energy. In addition to the turbine work studies are continuing for the heat network.
This work, and previous work funded by a grant received from Power to Change (PtC),has been carried out in collaboration with the local community group Lightfoot Enterprises. For more information, see the project website.