Windfarm protestors secure council victory
Campaigners fighting plans to build a wind farm near Market Drayton secured an important victory this week after district councillors voted against it.
More than 300 people attended a meeting at the Grove School on Tuesday where the proposal by energy company, Nuon Renewables, was discussed.
North Shropshire District Council’s planning committee decided by 11 votes to three to refuse them permission to go ahead.
Before the meeting, members of Vortex (Veto on Rural Turbine Expansion) gathered outside the school to protest against the plans to build the wind farm on land in Bearstone.
Chairman Anthony Ward, described the outcome as a ‘very good result’.
“This is a major victory which will inspire objectors in other inappropriate areas,” Professor Ward said.
“We have cleared a significant hurdle but we will now have to prepare ourselves for an appeal, which will probably be launched.”
After the meeting, Nuon project manager, Graham Davey, declined to say whether the company would lodge an appeal.
“It was a good debate but we are disappointed that the committee voted the way that it did,” he said.
“We thought that, given the officer’s report, they would have approved it.
“We will have to wait until we get the full consideration from the council and once we have got that, we will decide whether we are going to appeal.”
During the two hour meeting, planners heard from Vortex representatives, Terry May and Tena Roberts, as well as fellow district councillor, Janet Proudlove.
She described the proposed 110m (360ft) turbines as “large industrial structures which would decimate the natural landscape forever.”
Mr Davey, acknowledged that there were “strong feelings” against the plans but told the committee that the project would produce electricity for 7,000 homes.
“We fully accept that people feel that it should not be brought into the area but we are in pressing times and wind power is part of the future,” he said.
Before the vote, Councillor Gerald Dakin told the committee that if planning permission was granted “it will set a precedent for more.”
“I have read an awful lot about wind turbines and the most powerful thing I read was ‘this countryside is not renewable’,” he said.
North Shropshire MP Owen Paterson, who campaigned vigorously against the wind farm, said: “I am delighted that the elected councillors reflected the massive opposition to this appalling and damaging proposal.
“I hope that Nuon take it a long way away and find a large dark stone to put under.”
By Winston Brown
5 September 2008
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