Company wanting to build 190 homes in Cornish town slammed for its High Court challenge after permission rejected 

The MP for North Cornwall is calling on housing and wind farm developers to abandon their High Court challenges after initial applications were rejected by planners.

Scott Mann, MP, has described his “dismay” at news that Redrow plc and Good Energy Group plc are appealing the rejection of plans for 190 homes in Wadebridge and a £30 million wind farm in Week St Mary respectively.

The two applications were rejected by local councils, Cornwall Council and the Government’s Planning Inspectorate upon appeal, with the wind farm scheme also being rejected by the secretary of state for communities and local government this summer.

Both companies have now applied to the High Court for judicial reviews to try to overturn the decisions taken by the Planning Inspectorate.

In response, Mr Mann is calling on the two companies to abandon their High Court legal action and to respect the views of local people.

Writing to the chief executive of Redrow plc, John Tutte, regarding its failed application to build 190 homes on land off Trevanion Road, south of Cleavelands in Wadebridge, Mr Mann said: “The planning application for this proposed development received a fair hearing.

“It underwent significant scrutiny at a local level through the normal planning procedures at Cornwall Council, whereby many local residents lodged their objections alongside the evidence produced by the planning officer as to why planning permission had to be refused.

“Nearly one year later in July 2017, after receiving initial refusal from Cornwall Council, the application was again rejected by the Planning Inspectorate.

“This first appeal action was met with much disapproval locally, and I am astonished that Redrow continue to pursue this matter as far as the High Court.

“Of course, Redrow is well within their rights to seek a judicial review if it believes the Planning Inspectorate did not properly scrutinise and analyse the appeal.”

Mr Mann said he could not stress “the level of anger and disappointment” caused locally by Redrow’s legal action.

Writing to Juliet Davenport, the CEO of Good Energy Group plc, which owns the Delabole wind farm, Mr Mann said: “The proposed wind farm was opposed by a number of parish and town councils during the original planning process and it also received widespread opposition from local residents.

“I would like to register my dismay on behalf of local communities that Good Energy is pursuing this proposal through the High Court, even though it has received a high level of objection from local people and official rejection by planning officials.

“This proposal has also been rejected by the communities and local government secretary himself. I therefore find it astonishing and alarming that Good Energy is ignoring this – particularly the will of local people – and is pursuing the matter in the High Court.”

Mr Mann reminded the chief executive in his letter that the appeal for the wind farm went under extensive scrutiny by the Planning Inspectorate, including a public inquiry in Launceston Town Hall where local people and representatives were able to give their views.

Local communities will now have to wait and hear whether the legal action for either proposal will be allowed to continue in the High Court.

Cornwall Live has contacted both companies for comment.