September 29, 2007
England
England
The district council is bracing itself for a rise in wind farm applications to match government renewable energy targets.
Guidelines on how to deal with applications for wind farms were approved by members of Harborough District Council executive committee at a meeting on Monday.
The guidelines were requested in May by executive member John Everett after an energy company began a wind farm environmental assessment in his ward, the Misterton, Swinford and Shawell area.
Referring to the planning application for a 70 metre data gathering mast – an anemometer – near Swinford, Cllr Everett said: “We can’t possibly oppose a planning application for an anemometer determining whether a particular site in the district will or will not be suitable. We will require this evidence along with all the other impact evidence.”
If a wind farm is to go there, he said there should be good evidence to justify its existence.
And in September last year the Mail reported that a company called Airtricity had earmarked areas near Carlton Curlieu, the Shangtons and Kibworth as potential wind farm sites.
l The firm which wants to build up to 18 wind turbines near Swinford is to hold two public presentations in the village to inform residents of its plans.
Nuon UK Ltd has applied for planning permission for an anemometer data-gathering mast near the village which, if approved, will be in place for up to two years gathering wind speed information.
The exhibitions will be on Thursday, October 18, from 4 to 8pm and the following day between 10am and 2pm.
Nuon representatives will be on hand to speak to people about the proposals.
At its meeting last Thursday, Swinford Parish Council felt the proposals would be visually intrusive and recommended the planning authority rejects the proposals.
27 September 2007
URL to article: https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2007/09/29/wind-farm-bids-set-to-soar/