WIND FARMS AND OTHER MAJOR DEVELOPMENTS IN RURAL NORTHUMBERLAND

Criteria for reaction

Report by Robin Dower, Chairman of the County Committee

The County Committee at its meeting in November considered a letter from a former member of the Society who had decided to end his membership “because of the Society’s opposition to renewable energy generation in the County – specifically wind farm developments”. “In my opinion”, he wrote, “this is a short term and selfish example of “nimbyism” that has no place in an organisation committed to our future heritage”.

Actually the Society does not have a policy of opposing renewable energy generation, but it believes most fervently that there are important questions to ask in relation to the environmental impact of any major development in countryside so little spoilt as Northumberland’s – and no-one I imagine would deny that wind farms are a major development of our time and in our County.

The question does arise about how the Society’s voice is to be heard in the public and democratic process of treating planning applications for big projects. The planning process, particularly at Public Inquiry on Appeal, is framed as an adversarial struggle – For or Against. If we wish to play a part in the process we must opt for one side or the other. It is usual to submit a Statement using the mechanism of Objection in order to book a place in the Inquiry timetable even if what we want to achieve is to draw attention to issues that need airing to make the proposals less damaging in their impact.

A good Inquiry Inspector will listen with respect to those who wish to point out the potential sacrifice that might accompany development – the loss of a particular habitat for wildlife for instance, the damage to a significantly rich archaeological landscape, the encroachment on a popular viewpoint or proximity to landscape already designated through legislation as National Park or Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Those who bring these points to an Inquiry do so as part of what should be a general debate about Competing Public Goods. This debate is an established part of the Planning process in this Country – incumbent on Local Planning Authorities and Government to encourage through community consultation.

What the County Committee has done is to try to set out what criteria should inform their reaction to proposals for major development in rural areas of Northumberland. We have tried to couch these in terms which are established in Planning Policy and which will be recognised as valid criteria by a Planning Inspector. Testing the proposed development against these criteria will prompt the identification of those issues which we feel ought to be aired in the planning process. It will also help us test our own position as to whether we have anything useful to say.