“Essential information was lacking, a point emphasised by the Chairman of the Planning Committee who, at the outset of the planning meeting, recommended the decision be deferred. The decision is thus unsound.
“Herefordshire’s decision does not have community support and is against the wishes of the vast majority of the local community that will be affected, most of whom live in Wales.
“If we don’t make our views known now to the Secretary of State, the Article 14 Direction will be lifted and Herefordshire Council will be free to grant planning permission. It is imperative that this is not allowed to happen. You must write now,” he urged.
The chairman of the Offa’s Dyke Association, Sophie Andreae, said: “We consider the issues raised by this application to be of national significance in relation to the historic environment both in respect of Offa’s Dyke, a Scheduled Ancient Monument acknowledged to be one of the most important archaeological monuments in western Europe (Offa’s Dyke Conservation Statement, 2000), and in respect of two registered historic parks both of which are seminal within the context of the Picturesque Movement.
“There are other important issues too raised by this application relating to the impact on tourism and local amenity, most significantly on the Welsh side of the border. In fact, the whole cross-border issue of impact is of such significance as to warrant call-in on these grounds alone.
“Herefordshire Council officers’ report either ignores or under-plays the detailed representations made to it by statutory consultees such as Powys County Council and by Cadw and indeed by this Association, a registered charity which seeks to protect the Dyke and promote the National Trail.”
Powys County Council’s specialist planning manager Steve Packer, who was prevented from speaking at Herefordshire Council’s meeting, has already written to Ms Blears to voice the concerns of Powys residents.
Members of Powys County Council’s Planning Committee, in their role as a statutory consultee, declared themselves against the application when it came before them on December 22 last year.
They recommended to Herefordshire Council that it should be refused on the grounds of the wind farm’s size and location and the detrimental impact it would have on the unique quality of Reeves Hill, the Offa’s Dyke and Stanage Park.
At a planning meeting on Tuesday, Powys councillors were told that Mr Packer had written to Ms Blears and a copy of the planning report and minutes of Powys’ planning meeting have been forwarded to her.
Residents who wish to should write to: The Rt. Hon Hazel Blears MP, Secretary of State, Department for Communities and Local Government, Eland House, Bressenden Place, London SW1E 5DU and send a copy of the letter to Ms Trudi Elliott, Regional Director, Government Office for the West Midlands, 5 St Philips Place, Birmingham B3 2PW.
Any letters should be headed Herefordshire Council: Planning Application DCNW2008/1289/F Reeves Hill Wind Turbines.