Wind turbine test go-ahead
The company planning to erect a huge wind turbine to the south of Garstang has been given the go-ahead for its preliminary plans to test wind speeds at the site.
Before it goes ahead with the £1.7 million, 127 metre high, turbine scheme, Lancaster-based Wind Direct wants to test the wind speeds at the site next to the Dew-Lay factory, on the A6 between Garstang and Churchtown.
To accurately measure the wind speeds, which will help determine the most suitable turbine for the site, Wind Direct wants to site a 60m high wind monitoring mast there first of all.
Wyre Council has now given the go-ahead for the wind monitoring mast, which will be erected within the next few weeks.
Wind Direct’s development officer Rosanna Scurr said: “This will allow us to procure the most suitable turbine for the site if planning permission is received, once an application for a wind turbine is submitted.”
The wind monitoring mast, known as an anemometry mast, is likely to be removed before the turbine is constructed.
The application for the actual wind turbine is likely to be submitted in late April.
The wind turbine tower will be 80m high. Including the blade it will be 127m to tip height, almost as high as Blackpool tower.
Asked when, if planning permission is granted for the turbine, the structure could be erected, a spokeswoman said it was not possible to say either how long the planning application would take to process, or how long it could be before it was put in place.
She said: “It depends what, if any, conditions are imposed that we need to discharge before we can start development of the site.
“After that there is a tendering process for purchasing a turbine, different companies will also have different lengths of waiting lists for supply so it could take anything up to 18 months for us to get a turbine to site.”
* An application by a Cornish-based company for two wind turbines near Eagland Hill is currently being considered by Wyre Council.
A plans for a small wind turbine schemes St Johns CE Primary School, Pilling, has been approved, but a similar plan for Nateby Primary School was withdrawn because of the controversy.
31 March 2008
Tags: Wind power, Wind energy
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