Former councillor 'appalled' at wind farm bid handling

LOCAL democracy is being abandoned in the run-up to the unitary authority taking power in Cornwall in April.

That's the charge from a former Carrick councillor over the way the current district council has handled objections to plans to extend the wind farm at Carland Cross.

Maggie Vale, who represented Newlyn East for the Liberal Democrats until 2007 and formerly chaired the planning committee, is particularly concerned that there will be no public meeting for residents to discuss their objections.

Mrs Vale said: "They have been told that as there is already a wind farm in existence, there will be no public meeting, despite many requests for this. They will therefore have just five minutes in a planning meeting to put forward all their views.

"It has been the practice in Carrick up to now that a public meeting has been held for major applications if it was evident that there was a high level of public interest and concern.

"This is now obviously being abandoned in favour of expediency. I am appalled at the way the council is dealing with public concern."

Scottish Power wants to replace the 15 current, 42-metre high turbines at Carland Cross with ten 10 efficient turbines about 100 metres high. Five of the new turbines would be on a new site near Newlyn Downs. The company hopes the new scheme will produce three times the electricity currently generated.

Mrs Vale believes this would have a severe impact on the landscape and on residents of Fiddlers Green close to the new site.

"I'm totally in favour of renewable energy, but this type and scale of development so close to dwellings will adversely affect the lives of residents," she said.

"It would seem that in the lead-up to the unitary authority, local democracy has been abandoned and those concerned with directing planning at Carrick are simply trying to get through applications as fast as possible before the new authority takes over on April 1.

"How sad that Carrick should go out on such a note, given its former standing and reputation."

Carrick's head of development services Karl Roberts said the council had considered whether to hold a public meeting carefully.

"There are many issues which influence whether it is appropriate to call a meeting, including the type of development, the level of public interest and cost," he said.

"In this case it has been decided not to call a public meeting before the planning committee meets. Obviously it is open to the planning committee, should it wish to do so, to resolve to hold a public meeting before any decision is made.

"The council will always seek to make the right decision, and this case is no different."

Carrick has commissioned an independent assessment of the wind farm's visual impact, which will also affect when the application is heard by the planning committee.

It is not yet known whether this will be before or after Carrick ceases to be on March 31.