DPA voted 3-2 to let staff decide on pylons

The Development & Planning Authority delegated the decision to planning officials, including controversial 30-metre pylons on the driving range, and rejected the chance to hold an open planning meeting.

The delegation to staff was approved only by a three to two majority of DPA members in 2021.

‘There were actually very few representations or objections for a project of this size and there were many letters of support,’ said Deputy Oliver.

‘Also the environmental impact report was substantial and cleared up a lot of the questions that would have been raised.’

She said she remained sure the final development would be ‘of greater ecological value’, despite the widespread alarm caused by the erection of the pylons last week, and she again appealed for concerned neighbours not to judge the scheme yet.

‘I think people need to be patient and allow the planting to happen. There are going to be a substantial amount of trees,’ she said.

It is understood that Deputies Andrew Taylor and Sasha Kazantseva-Miller were the two members of the DPA who wanted the planning application to go to an open planning meeting, and voted against delegating the decision to staff.

‘The decision was taken to delegate the decision to officers by the majority of the committee,’ said Deputy Kazantseva-Miller yesterday.

‘The officers had to look at the application on its merits, but basically it was their decision.

‘I voted against that because it was a substantial project with an environmental impact, but it was a committee decision and I support that.’

Previous planning committees operated on the basis that an application would be referred to the elected members even if only one of them requested it. But the current DPA delegates decisions to staff unless a majority of the committee wants them made at an open planning meeting.

Deputy Kazantseva-Miller said the previous rules were ambiguous and were clarified after legal advice.

But Deputy Taylor told a Scrutiny hearing that the rules on delegated authority were changed around the time of the application for La Grande Mare.

‘The changes made then said you can then have a vote as a committee and the committee could override the decision of the individual,’ he said.

‘That was brought about because of a timing issue. The applicant had indicated that if this was not done relatively quickly, or it was not done in a sensible time-frame, they would be pulling out.’

Neighbours alarmed at the height of the pylons have now launched a petition opposing them.

Deputy Oliver has offered to organise a meeting between neighbours, the developers and the authority next week.

It is understood that some politicians and neighbours are also considering arranging a much larger public meeting to discuss concerns about the development.