GEOFFREY OSBORN, of Blackawton, Totnes, writes: I would like to respond, if I may, to the article of January 9, headed 'Our Plan assurances from council.' Clearly, the council is already a very long way behind its published timetable to 'Consult on the (final) Plan between mid November 2014 and mid January 2015', when they have not even finished writing their strategies and policies for the new document. But if they honestly wished to listen to the views of as many residents as possible, then why did they not publicise the two recent newsletters in the press, as they did with earlier issues, and why include the long Christmas holidays in the consultation period, which has now ended. These questions remain unanswered. I am not alone in voicing concerns. Other residents have made similar points to me, and your correspondence columns include some well-articulated letters on the subject. The council spokesman now claims that I am the one doing the misleading, when I suggest that the South Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty should receive added protection from inappropriate siting of wind turbines, by, for example, setting height limits. I also suggested separation distances from dwellings and historic buildings, as well as stipulating areas where such developments should or should not be allowed. Sites where housing developments should or should not take place will eventually be designated in the Local Plan, so why not the same for renewable energy developments? Here are just a few examples of what the Government's National Planning Policy Framework has to say on the subject, in its instructions to local planning authorities: Paragraph 97 says: '.... consider identifying suitable areas for renewable and low carbon energy sources.....' and '... where plans identify areas as suitable for renewable and low-carbon energy development, they should make clear what criteria have determined their selection, including for what size of development the areas are considered suitable." Paragraph 115: 'Great weight should be given to conserving landscape and scenic beauty in National Parks and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, which have the highest status of protection in relation to landscape and scenic beauty.' Paragraph 154: 'Local Plans should set out the opportunities for development and clear policies on what will or will not be permitted and where.' Paragraph 157: 'Local Plans should indicate broad locations for strategic development on a key diagram and land-use designations on a proposals map;' and, among other things: '.... identify land where development would be inappropriate, for instance, because of its environmental or historic significance.' In my view, for the council to give 'the highest status of protection' to the AONB, it is perfectly entitled to set reasonable limits on such development proposals. Many would argue that the AONB needs much stronger protection than the spokesman claims is in place.
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