Storm of protest over wind farm consultants
Council bosses have defended using thousands of pounds of taxpayers’ money to employ outside consultants to evaluate a planning application for a wind farm in the ward represented by the authority’s leader.
East Staffordshire Borough Council has already set aside £5,000 as a ‘contingency’ against plans to build a wind farm at Bagots Park, near Abbots Bromley.
Consultants Chris Blandford Associates have been drafted in at an undisclosed cost to closely examine environmental statements submitted by applicant Airtricity.
The council’s controlling Conservative group has been forced to justify the move amid claims it is unfair on the taxpayer and an unnecessary move when the council already employs its own team of supposedly expert planning officers.
The ongoing application, which could see eight turbines installed at Bagots Park -situated in the the Bagots ward represented by council leader Alex Fox, who has vocally opposed the proposal — was discussed at the latest meeting of the full council.
The proposal currently hangs in the balance after planning staff at the council revealed that they had been bombarded by letters both supporting and opposing the bid, following an extensive public relations and marketing campaign by Airtricity.
Tory deputy leader Julia Jessel said: “It is a specialist application. There are two statements, both about the environment, that the applicant has to submit and we need experts to do evaluations of these.
“Chris Blandford Associates will appraise these statements so the planning committee can make a decision on an informed basis.”
However, Labour’s Anglesey ward member Ali Chaudhry — who has previously claimed that the controlling Tory group has been ‘compromised’ in respect of the application and accused his opponents of ‘political interference in the planning process’ — immediately demanded justification for the move.
He said: “I am very surprised at this. This authority should be capable of looking at an environmental statement.
“I think this needs clarifying — what information is in the statements to necessitate these extra consultants?”
Councillor Jessel replied: “The planning application for a wind farm is not something we receive on a monthly or even annual basis.
“If officers need professional advice then it is right and proper that they should be able to.”
Councillor Fox has denied any political interference and says his stance of opposition to the application has been cleared with the council’s monitoring officer David Duckitt.
By Keith Bull
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