NICOLA Sturgeon said at the National Economic Forum in Inverness on May 12
that communities are “central” to the planning policy of renewable energy
…“and we have a planning process that is robust … and allows the views of
communities to be heard”. Nothing could be further from the truth. In 2007
the SNP inherited a planning policy which said “broad criteria should be
used to set out the considerations that developers should address in
relation to local communities. These should ensure that (windfarm)
proposals are not permitted if they would have a significant long-term
detrimental impact on the amenity of people living nearby.” This positive
protection to residential amenity was removed by the publication of
Scottish Planning Policy in 2010.
In 2011, Scottish Government Reporters examining Highland Council’s draft
Highland Wide Development Plan wrote on page 449 at paragraph 36: “With
respect to representations arguing for a veto on wind farm proposals in
some circumstances where the local community opposes the scheme, this would
be contrary to the planning system as set out in legislation. A council
must make its own planning decisions on the basis of policies and reasons;
it cannot set aside that responsibility and simply adopt the opinions of a
local community.”
So in spite of extensive consultation and invitation for comment, the
planning authority must ignore the expressed wish of the community.
Since 2014 Scottish Planning Policy provides for consideration of visual
impact within two kilometres of “cities, towns and villages” but also says
that “in these areas wind farms may be appropriate in some circumstances”.
Scattered settlements all over Scotland are excluded from this negotiable
consideration masquerading as a protection to amenity. The wish of the
community is not a material consideration in Scottish Planning Policy. The
wishes of the community may well be heard but there is no requirement to
heed them. The First Minister knows that.
Stuart Young,
The Larches, Laggan Bridge, Newtonmore.
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