A government department has overruled planners to allow telegraph poles to be installed onto roads in Peel.
Residents in Bellvue Park, Carmane Close and Cronk Reayrt have been told that an MHK in DEFA has come to a different conclusion to the planning inspector.
Lawrie Hooper, acting under delegated authority from the Minister for Environment, Food and Agriculture, overturned the original refusal.
Mr Hooper stated: “The proposal would result in some harm to the character and appearance of the area,” but concluded this was not “so significant as to decisively outweigh all other material considerations”.
He added that the development represents “an acceptable compromise between environmental considerations and infrastructure need, consistent with Infrastructure Policy 3”.
The inspector had found the poles would cause material harm to the area’s character and residents’ outlook.
However, Mr Hooper disagreed, saying: “The presence of open green space, variation in building height, plot layout and orientation of properties reduces the consistency and uniformity of the built form.”
Mr Hooper distinguished this case from a similar appeal at Ballaquane Park, which was dismissed, saying the present appeal “gives rise to a lesser degree and extent of harm”.
Responding to this, Glenfaba and Peel MHK Kate Lord-Brennan said: “Not content with getting rid of the Bishop’s vote, Hooper has turned his wicked hand to something not quite as old, but still from the 1800’s: inflicting telegraph poles on residents.
“Hooper has no business doing taking these deviant decisions, presumably nothing to gain (?) or lose, he just did it. And it can’t be overturned.
“This is despite, the Planning Committee, with its good sense, and the Planning Appeal Inspector (who I think visited the areas – I doubt Hooper would dare) both concluding, that the applications for these telegraph poles should be REJECTED.”