January 25, 2012
Northern Ireland

Council wants to hear all wind turbine cases

Larne Times, www.larnetimes.co.uk 25 January 2012

Larne Council wants all wind turbine applications to be removed from the streamlined planning list.

Currently, proposals for wind turbines can fall under the streamlined schedule, which is designed to allow planners to make decisions on non-contentious applications without formally bringing them before the council.

However, it is the view of the local authority – which has a purely consultative role when it comes to planning issues – that these applications are not appropriate for the scheme as they “are often contentious and can have potential noise and environmental impacts”.

The council has received an increasing number of wind turbine applications over the past year, and feels that these applications could potentially have “an adverse impact on amenity if not considered with the necessary attention”.

“In many cases the information required to make an informned decision is not presented by the applicant, which inhibits the council’s ability to respond within the streamlined timeframe,” the council added.

At the latest meeting of the public services committe in Smiley Buildings, members agreed to write to the Planning Service to request that wind turbine applications no longer appear on the streamlined schedule.

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2012/01/25/council-wants-to-hear-all-wind-turbine-cases/