Pilling wind turbines plan back on agenda
Shortly after it became public knowledge that Dewlay had won its planning appeal for one of the country’s biggest solo wind turbines, another company which had previously been refused permission for turbines near Pilling announced it was re-submitting its plans.
Cornwall Light and Power say its plans to resubmit its planning application for two wind turbines at Orchard End, near Eagland Hill, is not linked to the go-ahead for the Dewlay plans.
A company spokesman said: “The decision to re-submit was not affected by the outcome at Dewlay.
“There was a considerable amount of work to do in undertaking the further studies and surveys, so this was something Cornwall Light and Power committed to well in advance of the Dewlay approval.
“The technical details have not changed since the earlier application, rather Cornwall Light and Power has done further work to explain why the site is a good choice.
The resubmission follows Wyre Council’s decision to refuse the company’s earlier planning application in May 2008.
Part of the extra technical and research data includes further bird surveys which the company says have confirmed the suitability of the site.
The company says that its two planned wind turbines could generate up to 9,460 megawatt hours of clean, emissions-free electricity for residents and businesses in the Pilling area, enough to meet the consumption of approximately 2,000 households every year.
Steve Allen, Development Manager at Cornwall Light & Power, said: “We are confident that these plans represent one of the best prospects for clean, renewable energy in Wyre Borough.
“We can also reassure local people that the new studies we have completed confirm that the turbines would not have a detrimental effect on the ecology of the area, including the pink-footed geese population.
“The power generated by these turbines would be consumed by local households, which means that our plans represent a fantastic opportunity for Pilling to respond to the pressing need to tackle rising carbon dioxide emissions.”
Cornwall Light & Power has pledged to commit money to Lancashire’s first charitable community fund, ‘The Green Machine’.
An independent body would be responsible for administering the funds, which would be spent on projects that directly benefit the local environment.
The local for Cornwall Light & Power site is close to Eagland Hill, a hamlet between Nateby and Pilling.
When the application was considered two years ago there was considerable opposition on environmental grounds, and concerns that the two turbines could harm the area’s visiting bird population.
It is not known if the Cornwall Light & Power re-submission has been influenced by the decision on Dewlay.
It is known that the opponents of the Dewlay tower and individuals who previously opposed the Eagland Hill application have had contact.
* Local residents with any questions related to the planning application are encouraged to contact Cornwall Light & Power on 01872 226930 or visit www.clpwindprojects.co.uk on which details of the site are shown.
29 April 2009
Tags: Wind power, Wind energy
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