Fee delay threat to turbines plan.

Byline: By Rhodri Phillips

A scheme to build the North-East's biggest windfarm has suffered a setback ( after Government officials said they were yet to receive the pounds 5,000 planning application fee from the developers.

Npower renewables wants to build 18 turbines, each one 410ft tall, more than six times the height of the Angel of the North, in Middlemoor, off the A1, north of Alnwick in Northumberland.

The fate of the application will be decided by the Government rather than local planners because of the scale of the project ( and the plans were submitted to the Department for Trade and Industry last Wednesday.

But civil servants yesterday said they were still waiting for a pounds 5,000 fee from npower [corr], which they must receive before they begin processing the application.

However, the company last night questioned the Department of Trade and Industry's version of events, insisting it had paid up "electronically" without "delay or error". Opponents of the scheme have until January 23 to raise objections with Alnwick District Council, who will pass on their concerns to the Government. But protest groups last night said they will not be able to have their say if the payment hasn't reached the DTI ( as the application only becomes "live" when the money is paid.

Robert Thorp, who owns Charlton Hall Farm near the proposed development, said he phoned Alnwick District Council last Friday to raise objections ( but was told he could not do so until the developers' payment had been received.

He said: "We have a limited period in which we can address our concerns and the start of this period has been delayed. With Christmas and the New Year period coming it does not leave us much time to raise our objections."

Dominic Coupe, who lives in South Charlton near the proposed site, said it was a ridiculous scenario. He said: "Surely it is not that difficult to make sure the payment goes through. It does not bode well for the application."

A npower renewables spokeswoman insisted the payment had been sent to the Government and was being processed by their staff. She said the payment was supplied without delay or error at the required time last week.

"The payment was supplied electronically and is working its way through their own internal accountancy procedure. It should take a matter of days before it is processed."

But a DTI spokesman said last night npower had so far failed to send the appropriate fee.

He said: "We can move forward once it gets paid, but not until then. It could take four or five days or it could take longer. It's up to them. I don't know how common it is for the payment to be forgotten in these circumstances, but they should be familiar with the procedure for applying."