Questions need to be answered over windfarm decision process
THERE was a victory for people power last week when plans to extend one of the largest windfarms in the region were rejected by the government.
The Scout Moor windfarm between Edenfield and Norden was due to be expanded significantly, after plans were approved by both Rossendale and Rochdale councils.
Yet the government last week sided with local campaigners – supported by Rossendale MP Jake Berry - and blocked the 16 additional turbines, essentially on the grounds of the windmills having a negative impact on the landscape.
As regular readers know, I have no problem with windfarms.
I think they are perhaps the safest power source we can support.
Given this area has been earmarked as a potential site for fracking – the extraction of shale gas from the ground which has caused controversy wherever it has taken place – I do think we should be embracing safer forms of energy wherever possible.
One can only hope Mr Berry is as vocal and determined in stopping any fracking in this area, despite the process being actively supported by his party.
However, on Scout Moor, the government has spoken and it’s a credit to local campaigners that they refused to take no for an answer in their fight for what is right.
The decision, however, poses significant questions which need to be addressed locally.
The first question both Rochdale and Rossendale councils need to answer is whether they were right to approve the plans in the process.
Planning matters are subject to incredibly tight rules and regulations, which are designed to make it clear what is and isn’t acceptable.
A decision made in 2015 has now been over-ruled in 2017, and a planning inquiry has been held at great cost to both government and those who have had to represent themselves at it – including Rossendale council.
Even if the council argues it has only used officer time to represent itself to government and the planning inquiry, the question still remains on what has had to be dropped to focus on defending the original planning decision.
Then, of course, there’s the financial impact.
Rossendale council receives around £200k a year in revenue associated with the wind farm already, thanks to government incentives.
According to finance reports earlier this year, the council was expecting this to rise to around £670k a year – which for a council with an annual budget of around £9m, is much more than a nice bonus.
That’s especially true for an authority which is £900k a year worse off as a result of government changes to bonuses paid for allowing new homes to be built in the area – a political hot potato which continues to rumble on – and a council which has had to spend an unplanned £1.3m on rescuing a collapsed project to refurbish empty and rundown homes
Over the lifetime of the windfarm, the council had been expecting around £20m.
This is no doubt a financial headache for Rossendale council – but also the end of a massive distraction.
On one hand, Rossendale council needs to ask how it got this decision wrong in the eyes of planning inspectors.
On the other, governmentto explain why also on needsone hand it incentivises councils to support renewable energy schemes, but then takes up to two years to block a scheme when it does bit. come forward.
For local residents who fought the project, it’s a brilliant outcome.
But for those responsible for running our government at a local and national level, many questions need to be answered.