filed: August 28, 2010 • England

Wind turbines plan for protected goose site in north Cumbria

Credit: The application is currently under consultation. The Cumberland News, www.cumberlandnews.co.uk 27 August 2010 ~~

Plans have been lodged for three wind turbines in a pink-footed goose-protected site near Wigton.

Edwin Gates wants to erect the three small scale wind turbines on land at Lanrigg Hall Farm, Lanrigg, Wigton.

He has submitted a planning application to Allerdale Council. The turbines would be the Proven 35-2 type and have a height of 25m and a rotor diameter of 9.8m. They would be white with towers made of galvanised steel.

The application states: “The client wishes to erect three small-scale wind turbines within close proximity to their farm complex to reduce the farm’s carbon footprint by harnessing the winds sustainable power.”

The RSPB said: “The RSPB consider that this application is located near the edge of an important pink footed goose feeding area on Holme Dub and that other sensitive bird species, for example whooper swans, occur in the area.

“As a minimum, therefore, we would expect the developer to have undertaken a desk based survey of potentially sensitive bird species.

“This would involve contacting the British Trust for Ornithology and Tullie House for bird records.

“In the RSPB’s opinion, the location of the turbines close to farm buildings and hedges and on land which slopes towards the farm (and away from Holme Dub) minimises the risk of collision and displacement of pink-footed geese and other sensitive bird species.”

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