Pylons deserved outright rejection – or an open planning meeting

We are told that Deputy Oliver, president of the planning authority, voted against holding an open planning meeting, and voted against permitting the elected politicians to decide on the application. She literally forfeited her representation of the public. In my view, she has thus forfeited the right to persuade us of the merits of the scheme after the fact. She has said that the decision will not be reversed, so her arguments can only be taken as damage limitation, too late to represent the public.

As president, her excuse that only a few letters of objection were submitted is to imply that the public (not the planning authority) has the key role – and time to spare – in investigating and preventing prospective developments. Yet this particular application appeared in the Guernsey Press as (I believe) nothing more than ‘associated parking and landscaping’, so that most people did not even know about the towers. To prevent the development, the public were instead reliant on their political representation in government, or at least a government that notified them of the details of this important application. In the event, neither was forthcoming. One wonders if the planning decision was even democratically valid.

Incidentally, no tree used to hide the towers will grow to 30 metres at LGM. Some might attain perhaps 15-20 metres, but that would still leave 10-15 metre of tower visible. The planning authority should revoke its decision. The department’s reputation would be damaged, but in many people’s opinion it is already damaged, and at least the pylons would be gone. LGM may or may not sue the States, but it would be better for the States to pay for its mistake than to ruin the landscape.

ANDREW LEE

Editor’s note: We are advised that only four of the pylons will be 30m high. The majority will be 20m.