I don't think a renewable energy installation would be 'essential infrastructure' either - the key word in PPS25 is 'strategic', and I don't see this applying to any land-based installations because they are not big in terms of power generation (off-shore wind farms probably are strategic, but flooding isn't an issue for them!). I think it's safe to assume that an installation ancillary to another use should be classed with that use (eg. a freestanding CHP building serving a hospital would be 'more vulnerable'). Installation completely Ultimately, since renewable energy installations are not listed it's perhaps a case of checking with the Environment Agency in each case, which perhaps suggests that PPG25 needs updating to provide clarity. To be clear, whilst an LPA may have an opinion on which classification is correct, the view of the EA is likely to be given more weight.
