May 1, 2015
Wales

Turbine work starts without planning permission from Powys council

Jonny Drury | County Times | 30 April 2015 | www.countytimes.co.uk

A windfarm developer has been accused of starting work on a potential border site without planning permission.

Sir Simon Gourlay has been attempting to push through planning permission for a four turbine wind-farm development at Reeves Hill, near Knighton, and has had the turbines accepted, but problems have previously arisen with the access route.

The wind turbines are in Herefordshire, but the access track is in Powys and Powys County Council has yet to grant permission.

Sir Gourlay had applied for an amendment to the application to allow him to start the work, but he has already gone ahead and started before permission was granted.

A deadline for a consultation had previously been set for April 23 and the council had announced that it would come to a decision the very next day.

The Stonewall Hill Conservation Group had already complained that one day was not enough to consider the representations properly and a spokesperson for the group has said Mr Gourlay has ‘jumped the gun’.

Late on Thursday night, SHGC sent in a detailed objection to the developer’s application and the day before had already complained to the council about unauthorised use of a borrow pit to extract stone, threatening private water supplies.

Back in 2010, developer Mike Corker of Bolsterstone Plc had written to the council confirming that no borrow pits would be used.

A spokesperson for SHCG said: “On Friday morning SHCG made several attempts to complain about the developer’s unauthorised start on construction, but needless to say no-one was available in the council’s planning office.

“A plea to an enforcement officer at 11.30am came to nothing.”

At 4.35pm case officer Mark Tansley replied and said: “I’m advised that the council is still awaiting legal advice on the matter and expect to resolve early next week.

“I will get someone to site on Monday if at all possible to record what has taken place.”

No-one from Herefordshire Council was available for comment.

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2015/05/01/turbine-work-starts-without-planning-permission-from-powys-council/