Countryside Campaign Welcomes Public Inquiry into Devon Wind Farm Appeals
The Devon Branch of the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) today welcomed the forthcoming public inquiry into the appeals by two developers for wind farms in North Devon and Mid Devon.
The public inquiry is to be held in the South Molton Assembly Rooms starting on Tuesday 9 June. The inquiry is scheduled to run for four weeks and will be from Tuesday until Friday each week, 10.00am until 5.00pm each day.
One appeal is over the Three Moors windfarm situated just to the north of Knowstone which is for 9 wind turbines up to 105m high, and the other for the Bickham Moor wind farm situated just over the border in Mid Devon and is for 4 wind turbines up to 100m high.
Members of the public are welcome to attend the public inquiry and can come and go as they please during each day. Members of the public are also welcome to speak at the inquiry and anyone wishing to do so will need to attend on the first day and register their intention to speak.
The parties to the inquiry are Mid Devon District Council, North Devon District Council, Airtricity (for Three Moors), Coronation Power (for Bickham Moor), and the Rural Exmoor Alliance. The Alliance, which was formed to oppose these appeals at inquiry, consists of the Exmoor Society, the Campaign to Protect Rural England and the Two Moors Campaign.
Each of the parties will be represented by barristers or QCs and will call expert witnesses on planning policies, energy, landscape, wildlife, tourism and noise. An Inspector appointed by the Secretary of State presides over the inquiry, hears all the evidence and comes to a decision following the inquiry.
The Inspector welcomes hearing the views of the public and encourages them to speak. As well as daytime sessions for the public to speak the Inspector will usually arrange an evening session for those unable to attend in the day time.
Bob Barfoot, chair of CPRE North Devon said “Both of these planning applications were submitted in November 2007 and have been subject to much work and debate ever since. CPRE objected to both applications, as did many other organisations. Last year the applicants decided to appeal over non-determination by the local planning authorities. We now welcome the opportunity for all of the issues to be debated in public at the forthcoming public inquiry. We ask members of the public to remember that they are welcome to attend the inquiry at any time and that the Inspector welcomes their views”.
ENDS
Devon Branch of the Campaign to Protect Rural England
Registered Charity No. 245317
PRESS RELEASE 3 June 2009
Tags: Wind power, Wind energy
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