August 19, 2007
England
England
Plans for a wind farm to be built on land near Acton Bridge have been sent to a planning inquiry after developers decided to appeal the council’s decision.
Vale Royal Borough council rejected plans from Tegni Cymru to erect four-wind 125m high turbines and an associated substation in December 2006 on land across from the village, at Aston Grange Farm.
But Tegni Cymru has lodged an eleventh hour appeal, and the matter is to be submitted to a planning inquiry board.
Acton Bridge parish councillor Steve Pardoe believes that the turbines should not be built in a rural setting.
He said: “We are a hub for walkers, horse riders and cycling and it would put people off.
“It is green belt land, and once you start letting people build on it you can never get it back. It is important to protect it.”
The turbines emit a high pitched humming and a thudding sound when the blades pass the main shaft, a sound Clr Pardoe says resembles a Chinook helicopter.
“They will be visually intrusive.
“To put it in context they would be the same height as the viewing platform at Blackpool tower. Everyone knows that the tower dominates Blackpool.
“These turbines would be twice the size of the ones at Seaforth dock in Liverpool, but in the countryside.
“We are going to fight it at the planning enquiry when it gets there.”
The appeal meeting is due to be held next year, in either March or April.
By James Wilson
18 August 2007
URL to article: https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2007/08/19/wind-farm-will-sound-like-helicopter/