GOVERNMENT PLANS MEAN WIND FARMS COULD BE FORCED ON LOCAL COMMUNITIES: CLLR ANDREW PINNOCK

8.48.00am BST (GMT +0100) Tue 15th Jul 2008

Government plans to hand major planning decisions to an unelected Quango will mean residents' views are ignored, according to a senior Lib Dem Councillor.

Government plans to hand major planning decisions to an unelected Quango will mean residents' views are ignored, according to a senior Lib Dem Councillor.

The government wants to fast track the planning process for major projects like wind farms or air ports. Instead of decisions being made by democratically elected councillors, a new Quango, called the Infrastructure Projects Committee, will be set up to deal with them. This committee will take the decisions on where new wind farms, power stations and airports will be built.

The government's Planning Bill was narrowly passed in the House of Commons after some Labour MPs voted against the government's plans. Now the Bill will go to the House of Lords. The government does not have a majority in the House of Lords and there is an opportunity for changes to be made to the proposed legislation.

Councillor Andrew Pinnock (Lib Dem, Cleckheaton Ward) has served on local planning committees for many years. He has now submitted a motion for debate at a full meeting of Kirklees Council calling for the plans to introduce the Quango to be stopped.

Cllr Pinnock said "The government's plans will totally change the planning system. For huge projects - like wind farms - it will be much harder for residents to influence, object or oppose. A decision will be made by a faceless committee miles away from the communities affected.

"Currently decisions are made by locally-elected councillors who have to think about the local area when making decisions. The government is trying to take local debate and control away.

"I hope all Councillors will support my motion which calls for local planning decisions to stay where they belong - in the local area."