January 14, 2008
England
England
Frustrated residents are still waiting to hear whether five wind turbines will be built near Brent Knoll and are even having trouble selling their properties as a result.
After months of planning meetings and a 10-day appeal inquiry, The Planning Inspectorate was expected to announce at the end of November whether Ecotricity will be allowed to build a wind farm off Stoddens Lane.
The planning application was first refused by Sedgemoor District Council in August 2006 after a unanimous vote. But later that year wind farm planners Next Generation, a subsidiary of renewable energy company Ecotricity, announced it was appealing against the decision.
After an inquiry in August, planning inspector Robin Brookes said he expected to announce his final decision on November 23.
But almost two months later, residents, members of the district and parish councils and protest group kNOll to Wind Farm are all still waiting for the result.
Historian John Page, who lives in Battleborough Lane, gave speeches at the inquiry about village history and the adverse affects the wind farm would have on the Somerset tourism hot spot.
He said: “Everyday people approach me in the street and ask if I have heard anything about the wind farm. Obviously everyone wants to hear a positive result but basically they are just frustrated it is taking so long.
“I have heard some residents have had their houses on the market for a long time, and cannot sell them because they don’t know whether a wind farm is going to be built near their house.”
The proposal by Ecotricity was to build five wind turbines on land north of Inner Farm, off Stoddens Lane. The 78.3m high turbines would be accompanied by an electricity sub-station, access tracks and vehicle access from Stoddens Lane. Brent Knoll is the nearest village from the site, just 600m away.
14 January 2008
URL to article: https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2008/01/14/brent-knoll-residents-still-waiting/