A row has erupted after North Ayrshire Council refused to notify 240 Cumbrae residents about an appeal lodged over a solar farm on the island.

Comsol Energy has lodged an appeal with the Scottish Government after their initial bid for the energy facility at the top of the island was rejected by the council’s planning committee.

Members of Cumbrae Community Council (CCC) had hoped that the hundreds of locals who had written on the first proposal would be informed about the appeal.

However, North Ayrshire Council says it does not need to notify everyone, and a ruling on the issue is now set to be made by the Scottish Government Planning and Environmental Appeals Division.

Gregor Harvie, a special advisor to CCC, believes excluding hundreds of islanders from the process is not democratic.

He explained: “The Scottish Government wrote to North Ayrshire Council asking them to inform anyone who had previously commented on the application that an appeal was being made.

“However, the council has decided that some 240 of the paper submissions that were emailed by us on their behalf does not constitute direct representations.

“They have decided not to inform those people about the appeal process where they can comment again, and the council is fixed on that position.

“We have gone to the Scottish Government to ask for a ruling, and they will either agree that the council’s position is fair or it isn’t.

“This is supposed to be a democratic process and to exclude hundreds of people for no particular reason seems unnecessary.”

Keith Hammond, the secretary of the island’s community council, insists all residents must be given the chance to voice their opinions on the appeal.

He said: “When Comsol made its application for to build a solar farm, the community council saw its immediate task as getting to know the community view. 

“This was done by giving islanders a chance first to say whether they were for or against the application and a space in which they could elaborate their view with their reasons.

“A sheet that was put out by the community council that gave those who did not have computers a chance to put their position in writing by returning it to the council. 

“The results that were returned to the community council were unequivocal and they were passed on to the planning department, but there are now questions being asked about their validity. 

“Ordinary people have to have their say if we are to live in a system worthy of being called a democracy, otherwise everything collapses in a bureaucratic mess that represents no one.”

A North Ayrshire Council spokesperson said: “We have informed interested parties in respect of this planning appeal in accordance with Scottish Government appeal notification procedures.

“This is the same consistent approach used by local authorities in respect of any appeals process.

“CCC disagrees with the council’s interpretation of appeal notification procedures and has sought clarification. This matter is currently being considered by DPEA who will advise in due course.”