A company planning to build a wind farm have been accused of using “questionable tactics” in their bid to get the scheme approved.
The chairman of Lichfield District Council’s planning committee says he has received a personal phone call from a PR company working on behalf of ProWind.
The German company are aiming to build four 425-foot high turbines near the villages of Haunton, Harlaston and Clifton Campville.
Cllr Richard Cox said:
“I was rather surprised to hear from them I must admit. Clearly it is not the right thing to do. I politely declined to talk to the individual who called and then advised my colleagues on the Planning Committee that they too should refuse to speak to ProWind or their representatives on this issue.”
Cllr Matthew Ellis, Staffordshire County Council’s representative for Lichfield Rural East has now written to Lichfield District Council’s chief executive to complain about the tactics being used by the developers.
He explained:
“The communities affected by this massive development proposal have adhered to the planning rules from day one. Yes, they’ve campaigned publicly against the proposals because they genuinely believe, as do I, that it would fundamentally change for decades the beautiful area of the Mease and Tame Valley. But they haven’t directly lobbied the local councillors who will decide whether this development goes ahead or not.
“ProWind’s PR company is phoning around the local councillors who are directly involved with the planning application decision. To the councillors’ credit, I understand, they have refused to discuss the issue at all. In this country there is a democratic process which must be followed and it is vital that process and the people involved are left to get on with it.
“The developers have provided reams of information to planners and, no doubt, spent a small fortune on this planning application. I think they’ve done enough and should not try to influence decision makers on a one to one basis.”
No-one from ProWind was available for comment.
I’m surprised they didn’t use the increasingly common tactic for businesses these days whereby they:
1) Build what they want.
2) Get caught and served with enforcement notice(s)
3) Apply for retrospective planning permission at the last minute.
4) Appeal, again at the last minute after the application is rejected.
5) Reach a compromise which would never have been accepted had they applied properly before construction/installation.
The whole process takes about two years. Abuse of the planning system is nothing new. Sometimes the wheels turn so slowly they may as well fall off!
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