Reported in the Telegraph at the end of August was an article about how the UN had ruled in favour of Christine Metcalf that the UK Government had acted illegally by denying the public decision-making powers over the approval of wind farms.
It went on to state “The United Nations Economic Commission Europe declared that the UK flouted Article 7 of the Aarhus Convention, which states that citizens must be allowed to fully participate in environmental issues.
It also criticised the UK’s failure to give people the “necessary information” about the benefits or negative impacts of turbines in a ruling that could call into question the legal validity of future wind farms unless Government policy is changed.
Mrs Metcalfe took her case to the UN in Geneva, Switzerland after becoming increasingly frustrated when trying to access information about a wind farm built near her Taynuilt home. The community councillor argued that the UK’s renewables policies had been drawn up in such a way that it denied the public the right to be informed. She claimed this prevented people from learning of the negative effects that wind power can have on health, the environment and the economy.”
In view of this it might well be worth mentioning the Article 7 of the Aarhus Convention in any letters of objection.
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