WHISTLE-BLoWING

A most intriguing document has recently appeared on the Wychavon planning website. Showing a delightful sense of mischief, the Wychavon officers smuggled the document into the midst of a long and boring sermon submitted on behalf of VVASP.

In fact, two documents were allowed to interrupt the interminable flow of yet another intervention by VVASP in their ongoing attempt at derailing the planning process. One of these documents was a typically obstreperous VVASP effort highlighting a decision which went against a proposed windfarm in the Scottish Borders.

Maybe some kind soul would care to respond by notifying Wychavon of the planning inspector's recent remarks in connection with a windfarm proposal for the Fens. As the following link makes clear, the planning inspector simply did not feel that the 'visual impact' of the proposed windfarm was sufficient cause to deny the project the go-ahead.

http://www.planningresource.co.uk/bulletins/Development-Control-Bulletin/appeals/1040143/DC-Casebook-Energy-development---Wind-farm-visual-concerns-overruled/?DCMP=EMC-DevelopmentControlBulletin

It should be remembered, of course, that VVASP agreed in the summer of '09 to concentrate on the visual aspect of the proposed Lenchwick Windfarm development while their playmates in the Windfarm Working Party concentrated on the noise issues - something the WWP seems to have done fairly successfully by selling the District Council a whole load of hogwash about the government's guidelines on windfarms and noise.

Anyway, in addition to the usual nimby outrage on the Wychavon website, we find a document submitted by our friends at BLoW ('Back Local Windfarms'). This is effectively a whistle-blowing report. A short while back, Big Chief Nimby decided that the District Council really ought to know all about his visit to an anti-ETSU-R-97 conference. BLoW felt that the Council also had a right to know about the annual RenewableUK conference in Glasgow.

Seems that BLoW didn't waste their time in Glasgow, but were invited to give two presentations on the irresponsible tactics used by VVASP in attempting to corrupt local democracy.

Others have made their views about VVASP's shameless bully-boy tactics known, both in the local press and on the Wychavon website. The report by BLoW now establishes that attempts by the nookies to bully and browbeat those who disagreed with them were an integral part of VVASP's campaign. Basically, VVASP started out by telling lies, then attacked anyone who questioned those lies, and finally forced other institutions (such as the parish councils) to repeat those lies as if they were doing the public's bidding.

In short, Misinformation, Intimidation and Impropriety, as the BLoW report neatly puts it.

This unholy trinity of nimby tactics is hardly unique to the Lenches - other, very similar anti-windfarm nimby groups around the country have stooped just as low as the agitators of VVASP have done. But at least the good souls at BLoW have brought this to the attention of the District Council, indicating that it was only by pursuing a course of dishonesty, spitefulness and skulduggery that the windfarm opponents could hope to get anywhere with their dreadful campaign.

Telling the truth about windfarms and wind power would not have helped their cause one bit. Allowing those in the know to have their views and opinions heard would only prove that VVASP did not have the 'overwhelming majority' of local people on their side, as they have been so fond of claiming, and that their ridiculous stories about windfarms were sheer gobbledegook. And letting the parish councils respond on behalf of their communities, rather than on behalf of VVASP, would only have shown that the fools of VVASP really were in the minority.

Let's hope that the BLoW report helps to open eyes at Wychavon to the unpleasantness unleashed by VVASP, to their mendacious and inexcusable campaign of lies and misplaced fury, and to their concerted attempts to gerrymander the democratic process in the local area. It would be wholly inappropriate if an adverse decision were made in the regard to Lenchwick Windfarm purely on the basis of such misinformation, intimidation and gross impropriety.

VVASP have sought from the word go to mislead and misinform everybody, from District Councillors down to the new arrivals in the area. They have victimised anybody who expressed a view contrary to their ignorant and dishonest stance. And they have tried to pervert every aspect of the planning process in order to serve their selfish ends.

At least Wychavon can no longer claim to be unaware of VVASP's appalling tactics.