December 8, 2007
England
England
A final decision on whether controversial plans to build a wind farm on the outskirts of Burnham-On-Sea can proceed is expected by the end of December.
A spokeswoman at the Planning Inspectorate told Burnham-On-Sea.com on Friday (December 7th) that the final decision, which was originally expected in late November, would not be made for “another two or three weeks.”
Wind farm company Ecotricity is hoping to overturn a decision by Sedgemoor District Council’s planners to turn down its plans to build five 120m tall wind turbines on farmland off Stoddens Lane.
Ecotricity’s hopes of building the wind farm were originally dashed in August 2006 when Sedgemoor planners unanimously turned down the scheme.
The authority received 16 letters of support, 210 letters objecting to the scheme and petitions from campaigners kNOll to Wind Farm and Families for Clean Energy (FORCE).
Wind farm firm Next Generation, a subsidiary of renewable energy company Ecotricity, was told it had six months to appeal against the decision and the company subsequently submitted its appeal last December.
An inquiry, lasting 10 days, was held in August when Planning Inspector Robin Brookes heard representations from councils, protestors and planners.
Ecotricity claimed the five three-bladed wind turbines would be expected to produce the annual electricity demand of 10,041 houses and that a single wind turbine could prevent up to 5,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide being emitted into the atmosphere each year.
8 December 2007
URL to article: https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2007/12/08/decision-on-burnham-wind-farm-plans-is-expected-before-end-of-2007/