A LOCAL activist has slammed East Renfrewshire Council’s (ERC) planning department over a “lack” of transparency, claiming councillors are making blind decisions.
However ERC says it “absolutely refutes” any suggestions that there is a lack of clarity in its planning department.
Aileen Jackson claims critical documents to the planning application proceedings weren’t made available to councillors until the day before the meeting, and not made available for residents to view online at all.
Her comments come after we reported that a councillor suggested “Google” was a viable alternative to a Freedom of Information request in last week’s paper.
Speaking to The News about a planning application for a wind turbine at Commore Bridge in Neilston, Aileen expressed her anger at the lack of knowledge amongst councillors and praised the “common sense” of councillor Paul O’Kane.
She said: “None of them apparently read our objections to the Commore Turbine application apart from Paul O’Kane or they would have immediately noted the main reason for objection was Cumulative Landscape and Visual Impact and adverse impact on residential amenity. (There is an exisisting problem with the strobing of red obstacle lights on the already operational turbines.)
“Paul had obviously done his homework and also referred to the development being contrary to Scottish Natural Heritage Guidelines which was outlined in our objections.
“Without his common sense the application would have been approved without councillors even visiting the site to witness the existing horrific destruction and clutter on our landscape for themselves.”
Councillors voted to make a visit to the site before meeting again in the future to decide the fate of the application for a 50 metre high turbine, close to the site of the existing Neilston Community Windfarm.
Aileen has also claimed that some statutory responses, not only public representations, are now being removed from ERC’s online planning portal — a move which Neilston Community Council agree is worrying.
She continued: “The applications which are on the agenda for decision at the planning applications committee are meant to be available to Members on the Friday before the meeting and as representations, expert reports commissioned by residents, correspondence between applicant and officers and now apparently some important statutory consultee responses are no longer available on line, it is important for councillors to visit the office to read all documentation.
“The other two turbine applications for East Ren Golf Club and Barrance Hill were refused due to an objection from the National Air Traffic Service and Glasgow Airport yet neither of these consultation responses were available for viewing on-line so we were surprised that these applications were also ready for a decision.
“The lack of openness and transparency within our Planning Department is worrying. ”
A spokeswoman for East Renfrewshire Council said: “We totally refute the suggestion that there is a lack of openness or transparency on planning decisions.
“The agenda and reports for planning applications being presented to the planning applications committee are made available to councillors, and published online, the Friday before the Wednesday committee meeting. Therefore the agenda and reports for the meeting on Wednesday, June 10 were available to all on Friday June 5.
“Representations from members of the public are available for inspection by the public in the planning office during office hours. Additionally, they are available to councillors in the Members’ Lounge on the Friday before the committee meeting.
“On the occasion of the most recent meeting, an administrative issue caused a delay in making these available in this location but they were available in the planning office and were in the Members’ Lounge the day before the meeting, in time for the committee meeting.”
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