By Jane Candlish
Planning fees for large renewable energy projects should be increased to
raise money for Highland Council, it has been claimed.
Anti-wind campaigner Lyndsey Ward claims the punitive cost of lodging an
application in England – which can be 10 times higher than in Scotland – is
bringing more and developments north of the border.
And she argued that the additional revenue could be used to plug the budget
gap which the local authority is facing in the next two years.
Ms Ward said: “The Highland Council cuts are insane when we are subsidising
the wind industry.
“In a simple stroke, thousands more pounds could be poured into the
council’s coffers to make our roads safer, our children given the required
education and boost our services.”
Ms Ward said she had been told by a developer at a recent windfarm
exhibition that they were spending £22,000 to lodge an application, whereas
the same plans would be charged about £250,000 in England.
She said: “If we charged the same amount as England to deal with these
highly complex planning applications I believe that a) the Highland Council
and councils across Scotland would not get so swamped with planning
applications and b) the planning fees would at least cover the cost of
processing them and any PLIs (public local inquiries) and appeals that may
follow.
“The low fees are encouraging developers to chance their luck in Scotland
with speculative applications at the expense of our vital services.”
According to the Scottish Government, fees under the Electricity Act were
increased in April 2013.
A spokesman defended the current policy, insisting: “Scotland’s massive
green energy potential is bringing jobs and investment to all parts of the
country, and onshore wind is a part of that renewable energy revolution,
which is also helping to cut household bills.
“As such, we have no plans to increase application fees to prevent
renewable developments coming forward,” he added.
“Our policy on wind farms ensures we strike the right balance between our
energy needs and potential, and the need to protect some of our most
precious scenic assets – which is why applications are only approved when
they meet strict conditions and why no wind farm developments can go ahead
in National Parks and National Scenic Areas.”
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