Sturgeon in row over Chinese wind farm planning bid
NICOLA Sturgeon is facing demands to explain why ministers decided to ‘call in’ a planning application backed by the Chinese government.
The First Minister will arrive back from a week-long visit to China this weekend amid the growing row.
It follows disclosures that SNP ministers had intervened in a planning application relating to the Inch Cape Offshore Wind Farm – with concerns that Miss Sturgeon had been ‘kowtowing’ to the Chinese government.
The application has been submitted by Red Rock Power, a subsidiary of China’s largest state-owned investment fund, the State Development and Investment Corporation (SDIC).
Miss Sturgeon met SDIC officials in Beijing, but the Scottish Government has denied the application was discussed.
however, opposition politicians have raised concerns over the timing of the intervention, which came days before Miss Sturgeon’s meeting – but was only made public afterwards.
They have also criticised the decision to take the decision out of the hands of east Lothian Council, which had been set to rule on the application.
Scottish Labour communities spokesman Monica Lennon said: ‘SNP ministers need to urgently explain this disgraceful move to block local people from taking part in a planning decision.
‘This is just another power grab from an SNP Government that treats local democracy with disdain.
‘In the same week Nicola Sturgeon met the SDIC, a planning application by its subsidiary was snatched out of the hands of east Lothian Council so her planning minister could make the decision.
‘Whether this is intentional or coincidental, it speaks volumes about a government that is more interested in cosying up to Chinese investors than the rights of local communities.’
Ministers will now decide the fate of the proposal at the former Cockenzie power station site.
Red Rock Power has proposed 72 turbines up to 1,000ft tall around nine miles off the Angus coastline, which would send electricity to the National Grid via a substation in east Lothian.
The application, by Inch Cape Offshore Ltd, is to create the substation and associated infrastructure at the former Cockenzie site, which is owned by east Lothian Council.
The local authority bought the site and had planned to market it for commercial use, with the Inch Cape application set to be considered by council planners.
A Scottish Government spokesman said: ‘We fully recognise the importance of local decisionmaking and ministers use powers of call-in very rarely.
‘Cockenzie is an important energy hub which offers significant opportunities for renewable energy-related investment.
‘The application was called in because the national planning framework is very clear about the strategic importance of this site, allocating it as an area where land use should be co-ordinated.
‘It also includes two national developments for energy generation and grid connections.’
he added: ‘There is absolutely no connection between the decision to call in the Inch Cape planning application and the First Minister’s visit to China.’
The Scottish Government has only recalled nine other planning applications, including when Alex Salmond intervened over Donald Trump’s £1billion Aberdeenshire golf course in 2008.