I’m pleased to confirm that at the Planning Applicatons Committee meeting
last week the decision was made to submit some comments to SPEN at this stage.
The 7 comments are shown below.
1. The present statement of why the project is
needed is inadequate and relies too heavily on the fact that it is included in
NPF3. The Council would expect SPEN to publish the Need Case for the project as
soon as possible and certainly in advance of the 2nd public
consultation.
2. The Council would expect SPEN to take into
account the views of local communities likely to be impacted by the
route/options and to include residential amenity in their
assessment.
3. The Council would expect SPEN to more fully
detail the economic impact, both positive and negative, of their proposals, with
reference to the Council’s Regional Economic Strategy. Information on future
maintenance (including health and safety issues) should be
addressed.
4. The Council would expect SPEN to take full
account of the importance of the regional landscape quality of Dumfries and
Galloway, and to give cognisance to the Council’s Landscape Character Assessment
(plus associated guidance within the Dumfries and Galloway Wind Farm Landscape
Capacity Study) as the Council considers that it is insufficient to refer only
to national and European designated areas as key landscape
constraints.
5. With regard to the above, the Council expect
SPEN to adopt all possible mitigation to avoid any adverse impact on the
region’s sensitive landscape areas, including undergrounding and other routeing
options, such as undersea routeing.
6. At this stage, the Council expects SPEN to have
an open mind on alternatives other than just the route corridor options shown in
their consultation, and to fully assess and appraise options at this early stage
rather than ruling them out. There is insufficient justification at this early
stage for SPEN’s preferred corridor and the Council would urge them at this
stage to undertake a fully open and transparent options
appraisal.
7. The Council requests that SPEN allow sufficient
periods of time for the submission of comments during the second and third
phases of public consultation and that the consultations should be undertaken in
accordance with the National Standards for Community
Engagement.
I
need not tell you that this decision by the committee is a good step forward in
the campaign against pylons. In addition to MPs and MSPs, the planning officers
and councillors have also now recognised the concerns of local residents and
will formally present the above comments to SPEN. As you would expect, SPEN had
observers at the meeting and will be aware already of the position now taken by
the council.
A
reprint of the "Dumfries and Galloway Unspoiled" 2016 calendar has been ordered
as all current stocks are exhausted. If you still wish to order calendars please email Barbara Webb on webb473@btinternet.com or call her on 01848 332554 or email no2pylons@gmail.com. Please give your name, address, email address,
and the quantity required.
Christmas cards from Kirkmahoe Against Pylons are
being delivered to each household in the parish, and hopefully you’ll find them
both seasonal and amusing. They have also been sent to each MP, MSP, local
councillors, SPEN CEO, etc.
Thank you to everyone for your efforts, and for your
suggestions and words of support over the past six months. It is of course still
early days, but I believe the various communities and groups opposing pylons end
the year having made a good deal of progress. Remember to also follow the
Dumgalagainstpylons site where you’ll find lots of information and
updates. http://dumgalagainstpylons.org/news/
Merry Christmas everyone - and lets hope for another
good push forward in 2016.
Carol
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