Windfarm expansion rejected
Neighbours are already steeling themselves for another battle after planners rejected a bid to treble the size of a windfarm between Truro and Newquay.
More than 60 nearby residents and campaigners against the expansion of Scottish Power’s energy-generation site at Carland Cross watched Carrick District Council’s planning committee reject the application on Wednesday night.
But the company has already told The West Briton it will appeal to the government’s Planning Inspectorate against the refusal to allow them to replace the 15 existing 42m turbines with 100 which will be more than twice as tall at 100m.
Despite the application’s backing from Carrick’s planning officers, Natural England, English Heritage, the Environment Agency, Highways Agency and Cornwall County Council’s planning and environmental services departments, councillors rejected it on the grounds of its impact on the area’s character and neighbouring residential properties by a vote of eight to seven.
As previously reported, newly-formed campaign group Residents Against Turbines (RATS) was also fighting the development on the basis of noise disruption and its extension on to a second site.
They also raised concerns about the effectiveness of wind-power generation.
Scottish Power said the existing turbines, in place since 1992, are too difficult to maintain and the new ones will treble the site’s electricity output.
Chairman Steve Bazeley, of RATS, said: “We’re pleased that the councillors have listened to our argument but are well aware we’re probably going to have to fight an appeal.”
A spokesman said: “We are disappointed with the outcome of the planning meeting and will be appealing the decision.”
See the full story in next week’s West Briton and Newquay Guardian.
13 March 2009
Tags: Wind power, Wind energy
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