Use extra wind money properly, planners told
Scottish planning officers must use the extra funding awarded to them to process wind turbine applications properly, says land agent Smiths Gore.
The Scottish government has recently awarded £673,500 to 16 of Scotland’s 34 local authorities to help planners process a backlog of wind turbine applications.
“It is encouraging that by bidding for extra funding some planning authorities are acknowledging that they have difficulties managing and processing applications for wind development,” said Craig Miles from the Smiths Gore planning team.
“What is concerning, however, is that the other 16 authorities are of the view that they require no help to process such applications even though some will have a significant backlog and their decision making will be far from timely or informed.”
Planners needed to spend the money to help provide long-term solutions to processing wind turbine applications, and the Scottish government needed to monitor how planners were using the funding, said Mr Miles.