January 14, 2008
England

Planners defer permission for wind farm speed tests

Plans for a 50 metre high temporary mast to test wind speeds on the site of a proposed new wind farm in South Yorkshire have been deferred.

Energy company E.ON wants to create the windfarm which will consists of three 120ft high turbines at Blackstone Edge – close to the existing 13-turbine Royd Moor windfarm above Penistone.

E.ON applied for planning permission from Barnsley Council for the anemometer and urged planning board members to consider the application on its own merit and not in conjunction with any existing or pending windfarm applications.

But board members decided to put off making a decision until after an environment scrutiny commission meeting later this month when wind farms will be discussed.

Penistone councillor Brenda Hinchliff said: “We don’t need an anemometer, we know it’s windy. An anemometer is a forerunner to all wind farm applications, let’s not pretend that it’s not.

“I am strongly against the encroachment of them in the west of the borough.”

A ‘scoping report’, a consultation document outlining details of the potential wind farm, was submitted to the council in November 2006.

Last year hundreds flocked to an exhibition staged high on the moors above Crow Edge by E.ON to show details of the Blackstone Edge plans, which would generate enough electricity to power 3,500 homes.

By Gail Robinson

The Star

14 January 2008


URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2008/01/14/planners-defer-permission-for-wind-farm-speed-tests/