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The government has announced that business rates paid by the owners of wind farms will go to local communities to the remove 鈥渄emocratic deficit鈥� in development.

The move comes after fears that new powers granted to communities under the government鈥檚 localism agenda could make it far easier to block the construction of wind farms.

鈥淲e鈥�want to see direct financial benefits through greater community ownership of windfarms and that鈥檚 why we have committed that business rates should be kept locally for renewable energy developments,鈥� energy minister Charles Hendry said.

鈥淭he Government believes windpower has an important contribution to make both to our energy security and to our low carbon goals, but it should not be imposed on unwilling communities outside of a full and proper democratic process.

鈥淭hese changes will address the democratic deficit in wind power,鈥� he said.

The Daily Telegraph reported the changes as 鈥渂ribes鈥� for communities unhappy with the impact of turbines on the landscape, but Chris Stubbs, director at WSP, said that the move was a sensible one that would benefit both communities and renewable energy.

鈥淎nyone labelling this contribution a bribe needs only to take a look back at recent history and global practices in the siting of new industrial and commercial developments to see the dual benefits that can be achieved.

鈥淭oday鈥檚 proposals will give local communities a share of the benefit, not just the impacts, of wind farms,鈥� he said.