New plans for a wind farm near Tamworth set to be submitted  

Credit:  by Justine Halifax, Birmingham Mail, www.birminghammail.net 10 February 2012 ~~

Plans for two wind turbines near a Midland village are poised to be re-submitted.

A document seen by the Mail reveals firm Prowind has produced a 450-page application for Lichfield District Council in support of two 330ft turbines at Hoggs Hill, Haunton, near Tamworth.

Last April the German firm withdrew an application for four 420-foot turbines on the same site hours before a council meeting.

About 900 residents in Haunton, Clifton Campville and Elford objected to the plan because the turbines would “dwarf the landscape” and stand twice as tall as the nearby St Andrew’s Church.

Prowind has since been in close talks with Lichfield District Council and held consultations with the community.

As a result it emerged Prowind was considering offering residents a share in the green project.

Now the firm is poised to propose two, 500kw direct drive turbines at Haunton Manor Farm. The application was expected to have been submitted in January but is now expected to be put before the council later this month.

The firm has created a webpage (www.hogshillwindfarm.co.uk) to keep residents updated about the scheme and allow them to contact the project manager.

The firm stated: “We aim to involve the community at every stage of the planned development.”

It is believed that Prowind is planning to make shares available at cost for local residents for one of the wind turbines. That could then be changed to annual community funding.