June 8, 2007
U.K.
U.K.
Up to seven wind turbines are to be built in Northumberland, dwarfing the nearby power station.
Wansbeck Council has given permission for the turbines to be built on land near the Alcan aluminium smelter at Lynemouth, near Newbiggin.
Planners at Wansbeck Council advised councillors that Scottish Power had made a sound case for the development of the land as a wind farm.
The £35m construction project will mean the creation of 60 jobs.
The turbines will stand at 121m (397ft). The nearby smelter chimneys are 80m (262ft) in height while the Alcan power station stack is 114m (374ft) high.
A spokesperson for Alcan said: “This development will produce renewable energy, have minimal impact on the Alcan farm, and produce revenue that will be invested in the farm business.
“The money will be used to maintain existing jobs, maintain the fabric of the countryside and maintain or provide alternative wildlife habitats where these are required.”
‘18,000 homes’
The site straddles the local government boundary dividing Wansbeck from its neighbouring authority in Castle Morpeth. An application for another seven turbines within the Castle Morpeth part of the site has already been rejected by planners.
Senior Wansbeck planning officer Richard Gee said: “Generally, from a visual intrusion on the landscape point of view, there really is no half-way house with developments such as this.
“You either like them or hate them.”
The Alcan site would generate enough electricity to light up to 18,000 homes annually, said Wansbeck Council.
8 June 2007
URL to article: https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2007/06/08/giant-wind-turbines-are-approved/