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Wind Turbine Applications (Neighbour Notification Distances) (PE1469)
Agenda item 3 is consideration of petition PE1469, by Aileen Jackson, which calls on the Scottish Parliament to urge the Scottish Government to consider a change in planning regulations to enable an increase in the current neighbour notification distance of 20m in relation to wind turbine planning applications. As members will recall, we have taken evidence on the petition as part of our scrutiny of the third national planning framework. We have a paper before us that sets out the actions that we have taken on the petition since it was referred to us in December last year.
During our evidence taking on the petition, the Scottish Government indicated that it does not think it necessary to change the current neighbour notification distance, but Minister Mackay informed us that the Government would look at issuing new best practice guidance on the notification system for wind farm applications. We have now received correspondence from the Scottish Government confirming that and setting out a timetable for the development of, consultation on and publication of such guidance. That is attached to the paper.
If members have no comments on the issue or the petition, do we agree to write to the Scottish Government to acknowledge the actions that have been taken on PE1469 in drawing up the aforementioned guidance; to request that the Government ensures that the petitioner is specifically consulted on the proposed draft guidance and that any views that she expresses are taken into account by the Government before it finalises such guidance; to ask that a copy of the finalised guidance be provided directly to the petitioner and that we be notified of that by the Government when the guidance is published in spring 2015; and to request that the Government ensures that the finalised guidance is properly publicised and brought to the attention of all planning authorities in Scotland, as well as all those making applications for the development of onshore wind farms and any other relevant persons or organisations whom the Scottish Government considers it appropriate to notify?
Members indicated agreement.
In light of the Government’s decision to issue guidance on neighbour notification as a result of PE1469, there appears to be no further reasonable action that we can take in relation to the petition. Therefore, do members agree to close petition PE1469 with immediate effect and ask the clerks to write to the petitioner and the Public Petitions Committee to notify them of the decision?
Members indicated agreement.
Before we finish, I take this opportunity to thank the petitioner, Ms Aileen Jackson, on the record for her petition. It is an excellent example of how an individual can use the Parliament’s petitions system to effect meaningful change in important areas of public policy such as the planning system. I also thank the Public Petitions Committee for the work that it undertook on the petition before it was referred to us.
As agreed, we now move into private session.
12:38 Meeting continued in private until 12:51.Previous
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