The following article was first published in the June 2012 Kinross Newsletter.
Perth & Kinross Council would be “… making a ‘joke’ of
so-called ‘consultation’” if it does not produce a modi fied
Local Development Plan to take account of signifi cant
representations made during the public consultation period,
says local Councillor Mike Barnacle.
Cllr Barnacle, leader of the group of Independent
Councillors at PKC, has written to the Council’s Executive
Director (Environment), Jim Valentine, to express the
group’s concerns over the way Council officers are
handling the Plan.
An earlier stage of the LDP was the Main Issues Report,
published in September 2010 and open to comment until
February 2011. Planners held surgeries with Ward members
in October 2011 before deciding on the Proposed LDP,
which was approved at a Full Council meeting on
10 January 2012. PKC exhibited the Plan at drop-in events
throughout the local authority area in February and March.
The period of public representation on the Proposed LDP
was 30 January to 10 April 2012.
In his letter of 2 October 2012 to Mr Valentine, Cllr
Barnacl e writes:
“At that Full Council I thought we were approving a plan
‘for consultation’ so did not seek all the changes I would
have wished and would have been di ffi cult to secure with a
limited debate on 10.1.12, dominated by greater Perth
housing issues.
“Following further public meetings in Kinross-shire
between the Proposed Plan’s publication and the deadline
for comment on 10.4.12, extensive represent ations and
submissions have been made from communities, including
my own, seeking some modifications to the Plan. The Plan
itself states that representations received will be considered
and if significant changes are proposed, a modified version
will be published for a 6 week consultation prior to
submission to the Government Reporters. This is what I
would expect following the submissions made; any other
course making a ‘joke’ of so-called ‘consultation’.”
Cllr Barnacle expresses concern in his letter that senior
Planning officers regard the Proposed Plan as a Final Plan
and “ simply wish members’ authority to send the Proposed
Plan and a report on representations received to the
Reporters for examination.”
He continues: “Also, alarmingly, Development
Management reports are referring to the Proposed Plan as
‘approved by Council’ and ‘a material consideration’.”
In Kinross-shire, housing site allocations in Blairingone,
Kinross and Powmill have given rise to significant
representations and Cllr Barnacle feels that consultation is
required on gypsy/traveller, landscape protection and wind
energy policies.
Cllr Barnacle suggests to Mr Valentine that: “at the very
least, the Planners should hold surgeries with Ward
Members on the represent ations received and their thoughts
on possible modifications before a report is brought back to
Full Council.”
The Councillor awaits a response from Mr Valentine.

The following article was first published in the November 2012 Kinross Newsletter.
Councillor Mike Barnacle wrote to PKC nine months ago
asking for an end to further wind farm developments in the
Ochil Hills and has still not received a formal response.
Cllr Barnacle wrote jointly to Nick Brian, Development
Quality Manager at PKC, and his counterpart at
Clackmannanshire Council, specifi cally to object to
applications at Rhodders, Burnfoot Hill and Frandy Hill by
Wind Prospect but also to ask for a moratorium on further
wind farm developments in the Ochils.
In his letter of 18 January 2012, the Councillor reminds Mr
Brian of PKC’s revised Wind Energy Policy and Guidelines
(2004), commissioned by PKC, Clackmannanshire Council
and Scottish Natural Heritage. The policy stated that any
wind farm of a commerci al scale and with contemporary
turbine size would be inappropriat e in the Ochils. If the
councils and SNH considered that one would be
appropriat e, it was recommended that only one should be
permitted and then only on the basis of smaller turbines to
avoid dwarfing the hills themselves. The preferred location
was agreed to be in an area of undulating upland between
Glendevon and Glenfarg, utilising the topography to
‘nestle’ the turbines into the landform and minimise the
impact on the skyline from views north and south of the
hills.
Since then, wind farms are operating at Greenknowes and
Lochelbank, having been allowed on appeal by Government
Reporters. And in March 2007, Clackmannanshire Council
approved an application for a wind farm at Burnfoot Hill.
Cllr Barnacle states: “we now have three large windfarms in
the Ochils existing that I suggest are contrary to our Council
policies”.
Councillor Barnacle concludes: “ It is time to call a halt on
further windfarm developments in the Ochil Hills. PKC are
still reviewing their wind energy policies as part of their
Single Local Development Plan, also landscape
designations are set to change in consultation on the
Supplementary Guidance therein. In my submission to the
Main Issues Report for PKC’s Local Plan, I called for a
Regional Park Status for the Ochil Hills, like the Lomonds
of Fife. This beautiful hill landscape needs protection now,
not further industrialisation from more windfarms. If the
Ochils are anything to go by, Scotland faces the prospect of
major adverse impacts on its hill landscapes from the
Scottish Governments misguided and short-term energy
policy.”
A new website, www.kinrosswindfarms.co.uk, was set up
recently by concerned residents to provide information on a
proposal at Tillyrie in particular (see also letter by Gillian
Galbraith, page 5), but also various wind farm projects
nearby. The latest news on the website states that an
application has been made for a single 87-metre turbine at
Colliston Farm, Dunzie, Glenfarg. The closing date for
comments to PKC is Saturday 3 November 2012. The
application reference is 12/01727/FLL.