A SENIOR government minister has said that a major interconnector project that will revolutionise electricity generation in Hampshire can go ahead, despite claims that the correct planning procedures were not followed.

Sajid Javid, secretary of state for communities and local government, said Fareham Borough Council had broken a verbal agreement to give the government time to consider whether it should take charge of the planning process for the £500m IFA2 electrical interconnector project.

However, he insisted that the government would not overturn the decision that the council made for the planned undersea cables and the proposed substation at Daedalus.

Under the plans, the proposed converter site in Fareham would receive electricity from the French electricity grid through undersea cables as direct current.

The converter station would then convert it into alternating current which is used domestically in the UK which would subsequently then be transferred to the National Grid.

But local residents and politicians are not happy with the government’s decision.

Bill Hutchinson, chair of the Hillhead Residents Association said: “Fareham Council has short-circuited the planning procedure.

“The application should have clearly been heard by an independent planning inspector.

“They never looked at alternative sites for this project like Fawley which has already got all of the necessary infrastructure in place.”

Caroline Dineage, MP for Gosport added: “I am very concerned about the decision which was made without taking into account local residents' concerns.

“This brings into question the long term legitimacy over whether councils can be the landowner and planning authority when deciding a planning application.”

But Fareham Borough Council denied that there was ever a verbal agreement in place.

Councillor Sean Woodward, leader of the council said: “The minister alleges that there was some agreement between the council and his officials not to issue the earlier planning consents without prior notification of the council’s intention to do so.

“This is not true and there was never any such agreement, verbal or otherwise.”

Further tests are expected to be undertaken by the council and National Grid in September in order to ensure that the cabling will not interfere with aircraft operations.