YOUR VIEWS: Planning system is broken and in need of urgent reform

Planning system is broken and in need of urgent reform

Letter from Jonathan Hedges, Rogart

I am writing in response to the Highland Council Planning Committee decision to withdraw its objection to the proposed Acheilidh Wind Farm development and what this means for local democracy.

Among my concerns about this decision are:

1 The lack of recognition of the impact of this development on the parish of Rogart and specifically those who live closest to it.

2 The decision of Highland Council to withdraw their objection at the last minute.

3 The politicisation of local government leading to a conflict of interest for the chairman of the planning committee.

This is just one of an increasing number of developments planned for Rogart. It is beginning to feel like a gold rush.

The cold calling of developers to absentee landowners. Well-salaried public relations professionals dealing with time-poor voluntary community councils. A public with a naive trust in the planning system, a system that has been broken from the top down by the Scottish Government with their ability to approve an application and overrule the planning process.

This may seem dramatic, but I believe that this is the end of democracy in local planning.

Highland Council stated that one of the main reasons for withdrawing their objection to Acheilidh was that the Scottish Government had overturned a previous objection by Highland Council (a neighbouring wind farm project at Garvary, after a costly public inquiry).

This removed the opportunity for local residents to have a meaningful voice in the planning process. This is not democracy.

The planning system works reasonably well for housing, but wind farms are large-scale industrial developments.

The Energy Consents Unit (the government body that oversees larger developments) is supposedly the answer to this. But it effectively just bulldozes local opinion and cash-strapped councils with political power.

The Scottish Government urgently needs to reform this process. Most importantly, they must stop overruling local planning decisions and remove political preferences from what should be a practical decision-making process.

Other possible improvements?

1 More rigorous minimum guidelines for the ‘visualisations’ of developments for public consultations.

They are laughable presently, wireframe images from a 1980s video game.

Rogart still does not know what the visual impact of Acheilidh will be. There are more effective visualisation standards for private housing than immense landscape- changing wind farms.

2 Increase levels of community benefit funds (they have been the same for over a decade).

3 Remove the financial pressure on council tax payers to fund endless public enquiries that mainly benefit corporate shareholders.

We must also consider the other issues created by this new infrastructure, such as the routing of new pylon lines.

The need to sensitively site developments that are on croft land (particularly battery parks on inbye) and the possible divisive nature of any energy project on the wider crofting community.

Then there are the missed opportunities for land reform and the irony of fuel poverty in an area that exports electricity.

With elections next year, I hope Holyrood will begin to take notice. Currently we are being ignored, and this needs to change.

Thank you for letting me have my say, as that is the basis of the democratic process, and we need to be vigilant so that we can maintain that privilege.

Power outage is a wake-up call

Letter from Graham Charge, Culrain

The power outage on the Iberian peninsula that has caused a 48- hour electrical breakdown in Spain and Portugal should be a wake-up call to our politicians.

It highlights why over-reliance on renewable energy is ill-advised. It also shows society's over-reliance on online services is a strategic mistake, vulnerable to failure and cyber attack.

It demonstrates the need to maintain accessible services and the resources to respond swiftly and effectively, particularly access to banking services, at a time when ATMs, the internet and mobile networks are no longer available.

In the Highlands we have seen access to walk-in services disappear from our communities at a rapid rate, and our rural and dispersed population is exceedingly vulnerable should the Iberian situation occur here.

If nothing else, this event should prompt a review of our national resilience and our nation’s ability to continue to function without electricity.

‘Relentless march’ of renewable energy developments

Letter from Anne Sinnott, Loch Eriboll.

Following on from the letter last week about wind farms and planning (‘Planning system is broken and in need of urgent reform’), I too would like to comment on the abundance of applications and the planning processes that seem to be ignored when it suits.

There is little point in having local planning departments if they are going to be overruled/ignored by the Scottish Government.

Who then will listen and/or acknowledge the residents burdened by the relentless march of turbines, power pylons and battery storage?

Just because there are areas within the Highlands which are not heavily populated, it doesn’t mean that they are fair game for wind farms and associated structures.

The suggestion from these businesses that there will be jobs created for the local community isn’t necessarily what some people might think because “local” can mean a much larger area than one might envisage.

Also, why don’t the planners apply planning conditions to these companies to help mitigate the impact on local communities?

Money is not always the answer. Wind turbines don’t have to be white, but it’s the cheapest colour to manufacture; power pylons/poles don’t have to be as cheap as possible (those at Crask are hideously ugly); battery storage units could be screened with trees, but not ones two inches high in a little pot costing 50p each, which will take many, many years to grow; pylons don’t have to be in a straight line, but that would cost more.

Of equal importance and significance are the shoulder shrugging and hand holding up gestures, whilst saying that how the power gets from the storage to the grid is not the responsibility of these companies. I think it is.

They could add their voice to the communities involved and affected to have a positive impact.

Two routes for public access through Dornoch Airfield have been identified

Letter from Councillor Jim McGillivray, East Sutherland and Edderton.

Highland Council is fulfilling its obligation as Aerodrome Operator under both Civil Aviation Authority legislation and that of the Land Reform Act (2003).

This obligation includes providing signage and managing the safety of those who have the operator’s permission to go onto the aerodrome.

Under the Scottish Outdoor Access Code, access rights do not apply to places such as airfields.

The fact that Dornoch Airfield is on Common Good land does not change this; and, in general, members of the community do not have any additional access rights over an area on the basis that it is Common Good land.

The aerodrome is clearly marked as “Dornoch Airstrip” by existing signage in the car park.

The aerodrome continues to be used solely for the purpose of aviation, uninterrupted since 1967, and as a functioning airfield since 1933. No application for change of use has been applied for, or received by, the Highland Council.

Civil Aviation Authority law applies that no person should go onto any part of the aerodrome without the operator’s permission.

The public have a responsibility to observe the Scottish Outdoor Access Code which excludes right of access to places like airfields, as stated above.

The operator (Highland Council) continues to extend this permission only to aircraft pilots, their occupants, and the Dornoch Model Aircraft Flying Club on the understanding that they are conversant with their legislative responsibilities. Those responsibilities include reporting safety incidents to the appropriate legislator and agencies.

Rules issued to users of Dornoch Airfield (i.e. pilots and Dornoch Model Aircraft Flying Club) state that they must have insurance. The council also holds relevant liability insurance for its airfields.

Two routes through the aerodrome to which legislation will permit responsible public access have been identified.

The Highland Council has worked closely with community and aviation bodies to establish these and is pleased to be able to deliver them for community use. They will be waymarked in due course. A complimentary map of the site will be provided by emailing info@dornochaerodrome.co.uk.

Letters should be emailed to editor@northern-times.co.uk. Please include your address and a daytime telephone number. Letters may be edited for length or other reasons and are included at the editor’s discretion.

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