Call for delay to raise cash for wind farm inquiry
A council which is struggling to find the cash to defend three wind farm refusals has asked for an inquiry to be delayed.
Berwick Borough Council rejected applications for turbines at Moorsyde, Toft Hill and Barmoor in March and all three decisions have since been appealed.
The planning inspectorate has now confirmed that the Secretary of State will determine the bids and that, as expected, all will be heard at the same public inquiry, which it anticipates lasting 16 days. But its suggestion that the hearing begin on February 10 next year has been knocked back by the council.
The authority has already indicated it is struggling to come up with the £200,000 to make its case at the inquiry – a predicament which last night concerned Berwick MP Sir Alan Beith.
The council also needs more time to prepare its team for the hearing.
In a report to a meeting of the council’s policy committee next week, acting head of development services Peter Rutherford says: “Due to the uncertainty about the identification of financial resources from the council’s budget and the time available to commission and brief the authority’s expert witness team, it is considered that a start date for the inquiry of February 10 is too tight; a later date will be sought accordingly.”
The council is entitled to turn down one suggested date from the planning inspectorate so must accept the next proposed scheduling. It will be expected to agree an alternative with the appellants inside a month. The new inquiry date will not be before February 10 as there are no inspectors are available.
The council ceases to exist on April 1, when it is replaced by a single unitary authority for Northumberland.
If the inquiry cannot be arranged before the changeover, the new council would be expected to defend Berwick’s decisions. The borough policy committee will meanwhile again be asked to agree to the finding of the money to fight the inquiry.
By Babette Decker
6 October 2008
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