"Residents must be given fair hearing over windfarm proposals" - Farron

South Lakes MP Tim Farron has demanded that the views of local residents are not ignored over plans to build a windfarm at Sillfield near Kendal.

Mr Farron is concerned that the recent decision by Sillfield Wind Cluster Ltd to bypass South Lakeland District Council's Planning Committee and appeal directly to the Planning Inspectorate could have been made so that their public inquiry is held before the one for the proposed windfarm at Armistead has finished.

Mr Farron is calling for the Sillfield inquiry to be postponed until the Armistead inquiry is completed in order to give the local community a fair opportunity to voice their concerns.

Commenting Mr Farron said:

"The communities to the east of Kendal are faced with two developers wanting to build windfarms within miles of each other. Local residents don't have the same resources as multi-million pound companies, and they must be given chance to have their say instead of being bounced into having a windfarm that they don't want.

"It's important that the Sillfield project is required to undergo the same democratic process as the proposal at Armistead. Sillfield Wind Cluster Ltd should never have been able to bypass the local planning committee, and they shouldn't now be allowed to 'hide' their public inquiry under the Armistead one.

"The Sillfield inquiry should be immediately postponed until the Armistead inquiry is finished to allow a fair hearing for the local community."