Farmers criticise planning office over turbine delays

Farmers criticise planning office over turbine delays

31 October 2012

A NEW lobby group has been set up by local farmers who want to see more wind turbines allowed in Down District.

Down District Farmers for Renewable Energy has immediately gone on the offensive by declaring the planning office in Downpatrick is “not fit for purpose” and have called for more support for farmers who are keen to develop renewable energy projects.

The group met with Environment Minister, Alex Attwood, on Monday and robustly outlined the problems they have had with the Planning Service and the benefits that renewable energy offers to their businesses and the community.

The group was formed at a meeting in Downpatrick on Tuesday night after several years of campaigning on an individual basis to be allowed to diversify their businesses into renewable energy in the face of “considerable difficulties” with the Planning Service and the electricity grid.

The public relations officer of the new group is Nial Montgomery, from Killough, who highlighted the problems being faced with farmers even when they are within the rules.

“Even where the planning guidelines indicate that a particular site is ideal for wind energy, poor management of the planning process turns a three month application into a three year application for local farmers,” he said.

“The agri-food business in Northern Ireland is the biggest employer in the province, and across Ireland as a whole. We have to be allowed to reduce our costs in line with our competitors, not just for on-farm employment, but for the many more jobs that exist downstream from the farm,” he added.

Ballyhornan farmer, Pat Magee, said the government is now proposing to spend billions of pounds creating a massive offshore wind farm at a huge expense to the taxpayers.

“None of the revenues from the offshore development will stay in the local area,” he said. “On-shore wind energy is not only much cheaper, but all revenues arising from on-farm turbines stay in the local area, helping to diversify local farming and keeping family farms intact for the future.”

The group’s chairman, James Carson, of Tyrella, expressed gratitude for the ongoing support of South Down MP, Margaret Ritchie, for arranging the meeting with Mr. Attwood and for the historical opposition of herself and Eddie McGrady to nuclear power at Sellafield. He also thanked politicians from Sinn Fein and the UUP for their support.

Downpatrick councillor Cadogen Enright attended the meeting to provide technical advice and led a workshop to assemble the issues in a manner suitable for presentation to the Minister.

“Down District farmers are selling to big UK supermarkets. They have to demonstrate how their carbon footprint satisfies British climate change legislation in order to keep their existing markets for meat, milk and cereals,” he said.

“Not being able to generate green power damages employment.”

Miss Ritchie said during the meeting with the Minister the farmers conveyed their position and concerns about the inability of Planning Service to process their applications for renewable technologies within a reasonable timescale.

“This group is keen to maximise the potential of renewable energy resources, and put forward a robust and concise argument to the Minister outlining their aims and what needs to be done to achieve their goals, and they are passionate about providing new energy sources for their own businesses and the wider community,” she said.

“Government must come forward with new measures to meet the new challenges faced by farmers in these times, and I welcome the fact that the Minister was able to hear first-hand accounts of pertinent issues and plans.