Councillor has “no confidence” in planning department

Feb 9 2010 by Alison Lowson, Perthshire Advertiser Tuesday

A KINROSS-SHIRE councillor yesterday delivered a “no confidence” verdict on area planners – and the Scottish Government – over landscape protection.

And in a strongly-worded letter to Perth and Kinross Council, independent representative Mike Barnacle has accused officials of displaying “a clear determination to sanction creeping development” throughout his ward area, contrary to the local plan and representation.

And Councillor Barnacle has lodged a formal objection to plans to erect three 15-kilowatt, 15-metre high wind turbines at Barnhill, Powmill.

Fossoway and District Community Council are also opposing the controversial planning bid, claiming there should be a full visual impact assessment required for developments such scale.

In his letter, Cllr Barnacle “strongly endorses” the community council’s views.

He adds: “As you will be aware, there was widespread dismay and disappointment at the sanctioning of housing development at this locus by the development control committee, despite objection from local people and members to a re-application that was only marginally different from an earlier one unanimously refused by the committee, and by the Scottish Government in considering the subsequent appeal.”

Cllr Barnacle said the planning department has sanctioned housing developments at Barnhill, Pitfar and Tethyknowe.

He adds: “Within a distance of 1.5km there will be three significantly groups of new houses served by inadequate, narrow rural roads and visually very prominent on hill sites.

“This is wholly unsustainable and there remains a complete lack of overview of the cumulative effect of planning decisions on the Kinross-shire landward area of Fossoway.

“This Barnhill decision is now compounded by this application at a visually obtrusive site.

“I have noted a recent spate of single and small cluster wind turbine applications, usually recommended for approval by the planning service, despite the fact that the council has no current policy to assess these.

“I suggest strongly that until such a policy for assessing single / small turbine proposals is in place, we should not be approving same.

“These applications appear to be examined in isolation, with no account of cumulative impact of a number of applications in a community area.

“I would rather see a cluster development to serve a community in an appropriate location than a proliferation of individual proposals.”

Councillor Barnacle points out that there are numerous “inappropriate developments” in areas of great landscape value, prompting his no-confidence vote in the council’s planning department and Holyrood, who he has described as “Philistines”.

“The Scottish Government completed abrogated its responsibility for landscape protection to the power companies over the Beauly-Denny power line decision,” he said.

“Only the John Muir Trust and local communities emerge with credit from this public inquiry fiasco.”