CLLR JULIAN BRAZIL, of East Prawle, Kingsbridge, writes:

A number of your correspondents have been concerned about the lack of a wind turbine policy at South Hams Council. I share this concern.

At a council meeting last week, I again asked the executive councillor with responsibility for planning when we could expect to see a policy. I was assured that a policy 'was imminent'. However it now appears we are months if not years away from a local policy. The latest is that a 'task & finish' group will decide what they are going to discuss in November! Totally pathetic and unacceptable.

The council and executive member have claimed that we have sufficient policies to guide us on wind turbines. Presumably this is why they have dragged their feet despite continued warnings.

Now an application for two turbines has been decided at appeal by a Government appointed inspector. As a result we now have a de facto planning policy decided not by the elected members of SHC but by a government inspector – so much for localism.

Whether people support or oppose wind turbines I think everyone would prefer that our local policies are set by locally accountable councillors rather than some faceless inspector from up country. Now thanks to stubbornness and incompetence we will have to live with the consequences. I hope the council executive is suitably ashamed.