August 20, 2011
England
By Steph Johnson, News & Star, www.newsandstar.co.uk 20 August 2011
Plans for a windfarm with turbines three times the height of Carlisle Civic Centre have been thrown out.
Hundreds of people had objected to proposals from EDF Renewables for six turbines on Hallburn farm, just east of Longtown.
Last week planning officers said Carlisle City Council should turn down the application and they did yesterday, despite an attempt by the developers to delay the decision.
EDF asked for a deferral so outstanding concerns could be resolved but the planners refused, saying that the matter had dragged on for long enough.
Ray Bloxham, portfolio holder for the environment and housing, told councillors: “There are a number of things in here that I believe cannot be rectified whether we defer or not.
“The applicants have known about all these things and they should have addressed them earlier.”
Planners went on to follow the planning officers’ recommendations and reject the project.
EDF had said it might appeal against an unfavourable decision, which would prove costly for the authority if it was eventually overturned. The reasons why the windfarm was turned down were both local and national.
Residents, councillors and experts believe the turbines would blight the skyline and interfere with wildlife and tourism.
The land also lies within the Stanwix Conservation Area and the Hadrian’s Wall World Heritage Site buffer zone.
And the Ministry of Defence (MoD) warned that its nuclear weapons testing monitor site at Eskdalemuir would be affected. It said the turbines would generate additional seismic noise that would compromise the UK’s ability to detect distant nuclear tests, which it is obliged to monitor under an international treaty.
In total, 266 letters and e-mails supported a 289-name petition objecting to the windfarm.
Councillor Charles Scarborough summed up the feelings of those against the development when he said: “This application is totally detrimental to the countryside and the operations at Eskdalemuir.”
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