Wind farm fight victory
A 200ft wind mast will not be built on farm land near Scholes following major outcry by local residents.
Villagers in Scholes have been celebrating after hearing how plans to place a wind monitoring mast at Chahal Grange Farm off York Road were rejected by councillors at a plans panel meeting last week.
The councillors rejected a recommendation by Leeds City Council planners to approve the plans, saying it was an inappropriate building for greenbelt land and would be an eyesore for residents in nearby Scholes and Barwick-in-Elmet.
The tubular steel mast would have been 10 inches across and would have been secured by steel wires spread to a maximum of 50 metres from the mast base.
Harewood ward councillor Rachael Procter said: “I’m delighted that the concerns of local residents have been listened to and it was decided not to approve this application.
“This is only the first stage of the battle but the panel have made residents’ feelings clear.
“Along with my ward colleague, Alec Shelbrooke, I objected to this application because it’s wholly inappropriate to place such a massive structure so close to these lovely rural communities.
“Not only would it be a blight on our beautiful landscape it could set a precedent for further building on greenbelt land.”
Coun Procter said she was fully supportive of increased renewable energy sources.
But in this case she felt the proposal was entirely unacceptable and she was thrilled the panel had stood firm.
Melvyn Dixon, spokesman for residents of Nook Road, Scholes, said the mast would be the “first stage in the destruction of the green belt.”
“It is my view that eventually we would have a wind farm round that area and we are totally opposed to such structures.
“I cannot see a device such as this would be able to generate sufficient energy to power a house and farmland for any length of time. I know the weather conditions and they would only be suitable 30 per cent of the year.”
The mast would have been in place for a maximum of 2 years and, according to senior minerals planner Louise White, there were special circumstances to justify it following Government advice.
In a report she said: “From information currently available, this site has a good wind resource and the purpose of the mast is to allow a more detailed assessment of the potential for wind generation to be made.”
Planning officers must now report back to the panel’s next meeting outlining reasons for the application to be refused before the plan can be formally rejected.
By Susannah Berry
3 October 2008
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