Farmers continue to battle planners over wind turbines

Farmers continue to battle planners over wind turbines

10 April 2013

PLANNERS are still taking too long to deal with renewable energy proposals from farmers on the Lecale coast, a local pressure group has claimed.

Members of Down District Farmers for Renewable Energy (DDFFRE) met with Down District’s new chief planner, Barbara Elliot, last week six months after airing their concern with Environment Minister, Alex Attwood.

Farmers have long complained that applications for renewable energy schemes, such as wind turbines, take much longer to process in Down District than in other parts of Northern Ireland.

Tyrella farmer, Edward Carson, said the Downpatrick planning office has clearly been working to address some of the issues raised with Mr. Attwood.

“New entrants to the planning system are not experiencing the same level of delays,” he said.

“However, our members from Killard to Ballyhornan and from the Lecale Coast to Ballynahinch are still stuck in the system for anything up to three years whereas in theory we are supposed to have a decision in eight weeks.”

Alan Montgomery, who farms near Killough, said decisions for the Down area are well behind the average four to six months waiting time.

“We singled out the local practice of sending requests for expensive new reports a year or 18 months into the planning application as the biggest cause of delays locally,” said Mr. Montgomery.

Patrick Magee of Killard said planning advisors charge twice the price for planning applications in Down District, claiming the local planning office is generally regarded as ‘not fit for purpose’ and involves advisors in far more work.

Rossglass farmer John Gill said: “We believe that all renewable energy applications to be processed centrally in the regional headquarters of the planning service by properly qualified and trained personnel.”

Downpatrick councillor Cadogan Enright, who accompanied the farmers to the meeting, said it is the belief of DDFFRE that the Down area planning office needs to address key management and organisational issues to effect behavioural change in the local planning office.

“We said that while we did not expect their current state of organisation to produce a decision within eight weeks, at least they could tell us within this period if any further reports or information was likely to be required,” he said.

“It is also clear from some of our cases that have gone to appeal, that the local planners failed to consider important aspects of DDFFRE members cases in areas like wildlife, the environment and economics,” he added.