Thank you for your correspondence dated the first instant, which refers to a revised timetable for the Brechfa Forest West examination.
Given your comments in your last letter, I was surprised to learn of your change of plan for site inspections. Your recent letter refers to "safety" issues at "some" of the sites. This I acknowledge could be the case at some venues, but not all. It seems unreasonable and unfair not to conduct any accompanied visits on this premise.
Your repetition of the warning that visits provide no opportunity to question the merits of the application suggests to me that you would expect this challenge, and therefore it is being used as a reason not to visit private addresses.
I am sure your decision will be questioned by those minded to seek Judicial Review, but in any case I wish to formally extend an invitation to you to visit my home. You can contact me on the day of your visits, and I will guarantee complete anonymity and confidentiality. I am qualifies to make formal risk assessments should you need to have one. I can guarantee absolute cordiality as I am sure all other local interested parties could.
On another matter, could you confirm if an assessor with relevant technical knowledge will be appointed to advise you at the hearing on noise?This is given the complexity and array of evidence, which is likely to be brought by interested parties and their expert advisers.

As you may be aware from the email I sent your wife yesterday, I can assure you that site inspections are being undertaken as part of the examination of this application. You may also be aware that Mr Macey made reference to some areas he has visited in his introductory remarks at the hearings on noise and on transport and local access. He also explained in response to an invitation in the hearing on noise that he cannot undertake confidential visits to individual properties. The recordings of these hearings are available on the Brechfa project page of the infrastructure planning portal in the hearings section.
Rule 16 of the Infrastructure Planning (Examination Procedure) Rules 2010 requires that where an Examining Authority decides to make a site visit with an Interested Party present all Interested Parties need to be notified of this visit.
I'm afraid that I cannot say any more at this time. It is the responsibility of Mr Macey as the Examining Inspector to determine how he conducts the examination.
I can confirm that an assessor with relevant technical knowledge was not present at the Issue Specific Hearing 20 June 2012 and that an assessor with this knowledge has not been appointed as part of the examination of the Brechfa Forest West Wind Farm application. The Planning Inspectorate does, however, have an Environmental Services Team who support all Examining Authorities (including Mr Macey) on environmental issues.
The email to Mrs Dugdale can be viewed at: attachment 1;ipcadvice=747fcfe447