January 17, 2008
England
England
Opposition councillors on Copeland are to demand action against energy company E.on over the Lowca wind farm.
Last week’s Copeland planning panel had a request from Conservative councillor Norman Clarkson for swift action against E.on over a windmill at Lowca that has not turned for 12 months.
Normally under planning rules any turbine that had been inactive for over six months should be dismantled.
Panel chairman, Coun Mike McVeigh, allowed the subject to be discussed as a matter of information but he said any vote had to be made at the next (February) panel meeting.
Coun Alexander Carroll said: “They are clearly in breach of the condition.
“We seem very keen to take enforcement action against someone who does alteration works to their homes without consent, why allow a huge energy company to get away with this.”
Coun McVeigh agreed the matter should go on the agenda for the next meeting. The meeting heard the mechanism in the rogue wind turbine had welded itself together.
Coun Joan Hully reminded her fellow councillors that she had climbed all the way to the top of one of the wind turbines during her year in office as Mayor.
Officials said they had met with E.on on December 13 and that “A local company has been commissioned to fabricate the necessary parts” to get the turbine turning again.
However, they had had no further word from the company.
17 January 2008
URL to article: https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2008/01/17/council-to-demand-action-on-idle-lowca-wind-turbine/