Perils of planning

I refer to the letter from Niall Stuart (Scotsman, 3 August) regarding wind farm applications.

Scottish office inspectors are obliged to consider national as well as local policies but give precedence to the former. While the Scottish Government has protected a small part of the country through national planning guidelines, some 90 per cent of the country is unprotected other than by local planning policies. In these cases the result of any public inquiry is almost a foregone conclusion. A decision by local councillors to refuse a windfarm application is readily overturned, particularly since SNH and SEPA, are obliged to follow national policies and rarely object.

The chief executive of Scottish Renewables suggests that the current planning system is “getting the balance right”. If you happen to be part of the industry that is probably true. Allow for a longer lead in time; increase the allowance for

legal costs and wait, with confidence, on the appeal decision. Councillors and local authorities on the other hand are faced with a real conundrum. However strongly they feel a refusal is justified, can they really justify the cost of an appeal when the chances of success are so slim?

Politicians and planning professionals have always recognised the value of public participation in setting planning policies.

Rather than devolving powers, the appeal system is currently being used to camouflage the centralisation of planning powers. We ignore that trend at our peril.

R STEWART Elgin, Moray