Ecotricity boss calls for local councillors to be surcharged

26 June 2006

The boss of a leading renewable energy company has criticised local planning officials for a ‘scandalous waste of public money' following a recent Government decision to grant permission to build two new wind turbines in Shipdham, Norfolk.

After five years of planning and two public enquiries, Ecotricity was finally granted planning permission by a Government Inspector on Friday 23rd June. And in his report the Inspector criticised Breckland District Council for demonstrating “unreasonable behaviour” in dealing with the application.

Ecotricity founder, Dale Vince, welcomed the final decision. "Perhaps obviously enough we're chuffed with this decision; it's been a very long time coming. But we are shocked at the way the council have dealt with this and the way planning law has been ridden roughshod over by the planning committee, and with no regard whatsoever for the costs. Breckland's own survey of local people showed over 90% of residents support wind turbines, so just who did the planning committee think they were representing when they threw their officers advice and all good sense out of the window on this one?

“We may be vindicated by the inspectors decision, his comments about the council and the costs award but there are no real winners here, not us, not the council for sure, not local rate payers who've picked up the tab and not the environment while its taken five years to get a sensible decision to allow us to build. The whole thing is a very sorry tale."

The Inspector's decision will also mean that, for the first time in the UK , the appealant's legal costs will be picked up by the Council, as well as their own significant costs of two public enquiries. “The total bill to Breckland Council to fight two public enquiries and pay our costs is going to be well over £100,000. That's a scandalous waste of local rate payers' money. If Breckland had heeded the advice of their own planning officers, and behaved responsibly, this sum of money could have gone on far better things. Serious consideration should be given to surcharging members of the planning committee, to make them pay for their own 'unreasonable behaviour' instead of local rate payers,” says Dale.

Due for construction next year, the two 65-metre high turbines will generate enough electricity to power over 2,500 local homes and provide up to 12% of Norfolk's renewable energy target.

“If we are to have any hope of fighting climate change the planning system for wind energy needs serious attention,” says Dale. “We've just been through a process no less arduous or expensive than if we had applied to build a nuclear power station - and all for two wind turbines, its crazy."

The Shipdham application was originally submitted in December 2001 and dismissed at the first public enquiry in August 2003 for a lack of data on noise. A second application including the noise data was then resubmitted but again denied, before a second public enquiry took place in March 2006.

Once complete the two wind turbines will generate an estimated 9 million units of clean energy, saving nearly 8,000 tonnes of CO 2 each year. All the electricity generated will be available to local households and businesses in the area. To find out more visit www.ecotricity.com or call free on 08000 302 302.

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Notes to Editors

• Ecotricity founded the green energy movement in 1995, and has grown to become Europe 's leading independent electricity company, supplying homes and businesses across the UK .

• Ecotricity believes that only by continuously building new sources of green energy can we make a real impact on the root causes of climate change in the UK . By changing where our electricity comes from, carbon emissions from burning fossil fuels can be reduced.

• Using existing cables and meters Ecotricity can supply any home or business in mainland UK .

• Ecotricity invest more per customer in building new sources of renewable energy than any other UK supplier