February 26, 2013
England

Formal complaint lodged over controversial windfarm plans

By Ian Gallagher | Published on Tuesday 26 February 2013 | Northampton Chronicle & Echo | www.northamptonchron.co.uk

A formal complaint has been lodged with a council over its handling of a controversial windfarm application in Northamptonshire.

The campaign group which opposes the Nun Wood windfarm application at Bozeat has written to Wellingborough Council, accusing it of a lack of transparency.

In a letter to Wellingborough Council chief executive John Campbell, Bozeat & Lavendon Oppose the Turbines (BLOT) chairman Brian Skittrall said: “I am writing to you to lodge a formal complaint about the appalling way in which Wellingborough Council has handled this application.

“As you will be aware, BLOT has been a representative voice against the above development since the first application back in 2006.

“We have worked closely with all the local communities to convey their voice, concerns and objections to this application and also liaised with the three planning authorities of Bedford, Milton Keynes and Wellingborough as the application has progressed.

“Thus it came as a complete surprise to us when we discovered just days before the closing date for the latest Statements of Case that Wellingborough had, without advising any interested parties whatsoever, adopted a completely new position effectively granting the application subject to conditions although without actually doing so via a formal planning meeting.

“It is breathtaking that instead of handling this application with the utmost transparency, the council has done precisely the opposite. It would appear that the council has not only unilaterally decided not to support the local community in respect of this application, but they have attempted to do so without even informing them of that decision, let alone giving them any opportunity to have any input into that decision.”

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2013/02/26/formal-complaint-lodged-over-controversial-windfarm-plans/