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Comhairle blamed over turbines court case                 10/2/14

 

The Comhairle has only itself to blame for ending up in an expensive court case over a community windfarm dispute it is claimed.

 

Unnecessarily inviting the Ministry of Defence (MoD) to submit representations about turbines scheme resulted in the government agency lodging objections, maintains the council’s SNP group of councillors.

 

Now the MoD has launched a judicial review against the council for giving planning permission to the turbines.

 

SNP group leader, Cllr Donald Manford, slammed the council leadership insisting  there was “no statutory requirement for the Comhairle to consult with the MoD” as the turbines were well outside the minimum distance from radar bases.

 

Mr Manford insisted: “Had the Comhairle not unnecessarily consulted with the MoD there would have been no requirement to notify Scottish Ministers of the intention to grant consent.”

 

He asked council leader Angus Campbell if “these circumstances expose the Comhairle to a claim to recover substantial loss to the North Uist community from the actions of your administration?”

Mr Campbell does not appear to deny Mr Manford’s core issue that there was no legal obligation to consult with the MoD in the disputed cases but claimed the SNP group leader was “confused” over the matter.

 

Mr Campbell said the MoD is a “significant part of life in the Uists and have asked that we keep them informed.”

 

Worried about the impact on radar, the MoD “specifically asked that they be consulted on all turbine applications over a certain height.”