Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council and the North York Moors National Park, which share development control responsibilities in the borough of Redcar and Cleveland, need to co-operate far more closely for the benefit of residents.
On August 30 an application for a wind turbine near Stanghow came to the council planning committee. About 40 members of the public attended to oppose the application. Both local councillors and residents spoke persuasively against the proposal.
Rightfully, in my opinion, the application was overwhelmingly rejected. But, is it good governance for the planning committee to find itself in a situation, as they did with this application, where the opinion of a planning officer of Redcar and Cleveland council is in direct conflict with that of the director of planning of the North York Moors National Park?
The council’s planning officer was in favour of the wind turbine proposal, while the national park clearly believed it would be a blot on the landscape.
Redcar and Cleveland Council looks after planning throughout most of the borough, but those areas within the national park come under the park authority.
We want the very best from both authorities, but why don’t they get their act together?
Two objectives of Redcar and Cleveland’s regeneration master plan are to encourage tourism and super executive homes, known as “grand designs”, in our countryside.
How can these goals be achieved when Redcar and Cleveland neither listens to the national park, nor is willing to formulate strong policies to stop the march of monstrous wind turbines across the borough?
Wind turbines disfigure our landscape and bring neither environmental nor economic advantages to our locality, let alone to the nation at large?
Steve Kay, Lockwood ward councillor, Redcar.
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