Asfordby windfarm proposal refused  

Credit:  Melton Times | www.meltontimes.co.uk 26 July 2012 ~~

Councillors tonight dramatically rejected an application for a nine turbine windfarm on the former Asfordby mine site by six votes to four.

The outcome, following a three hour debate at Melton Council’s Parkside offices, was greeted with loud cheers and applause from more than 100 residents who attended the meeting.

The application, from renewable energy provider Peel Energy, had been recommended for approval.

It wanted to put up nine turbines, eight up to the height of 125m (410ft), on land between the Asfordby villages and Ab Kettleby. It says it will now consider whether or not to appeal the decision.

The meeting of the development committee began with presentations by opposition group STOP and Peel as well as other individual speakers before councillors debated the application.

In all there were 16 speakers while all 10 members of the committee also spoke.

Melton Council had received more than 800 objections and at the meeting protestors raised numerous concerns covering issues such as visual impact and noise, shadow flicker, flood risk, proximity to homes, scale of the development and fears the windfarm would be detrimental to neighbouring villages and to Melton’s tourism economy.

In the end, however, the application was rejected mainly on grounds of impact on designated heritage assets and visual impact on the local landscape.

More to follow.