THE liaison panel that considers issues to do with the construction of the Frodsham Wind Farm looks set to be “an affront to democracy” according to CW&C councillors Andrew Dawson and Lyn Riley.
Small communities like Ince and Elton have been given representation on the panel equal to Frodsham – despite the fact that all the wind turbines will be in Frodsham and more than 46 per cent of the affected population live in Frodsham.
“Personally, we consider this to be outrageous and an affront to democracy,” say the two councillors.
Peel Energy, who are building the wind farm, have already consulted the public on the £120,000-a-year community benefit fund arising from construction of the windfarm.
But few people got to hear about the consultation, according to the councillors.
Only 432 people responded from a population of nearly 20,000
“We feel strongly that we need a mechanism that allows for a local vote on how the funds are to be allocated each year,” say the councillors.
“Whilst the rules for allocating the funds are yet to be devised things don’t look good.
“We’d like to see all the communities come together to agree on projects that benefit all of us. Again though, the signs don’t look good.
“Peel’s community benefit fund for the Ince incinerator scheme is being managed by the Ince and Elton Councillors – and they have chosen to bar Frodsham and Helsby from benefiting from those funds for at least the first two years.
“In our view Peel is failing to take account of the fact that Frodsham makes up 46 per cent of the affected population for the windfarm scheme.
“If they won’t bring a sensible consultation to your door, we will.”
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