June 4, 2008
England
England
More than 1,000 people have objected to plans for a wind farm on land between Micklefield and Garforth.
Banks Developments wants to erect five propellor-style turbines, each reaching a height of 125 metres (410 feet) on green belt land at Hook Moor near Micklefield.
The Durham-based company claims the scheme would generate enough energy for more than 8,000 homes without producing greenhouse gases.
But opponents of the plans say that the turbines – which would be higher than York Minster – will be seen for miles around and also be very noisy.
Carolyn Walker, spokeswoman for the Hook Moor Wind Farm Action Group, said that the number of objections showed the level of opposition.
“We are very pleased with the amount of support,” she said.
A Leeds City Council spokesman said that they had received over 1,000 representations about the plans, the majority opposed to the scheme.
The proposals were still under consideration by planning officers and as yet no date had been set when they would go to plans panel, but it was expected to be in the next two to three months.
Banks recently won its appeal against Leeds City Council’s East Plans Panel’s refusal to grant planning permission for the erection of a 60m wind monitoring mast on the same site for a temporary period of two years.
The inspector concluded that the mast would be an inappropriate development on green belt land and would cause some short term harm to the character and appearance of the rural landscape.
But because of its temporary nature, and the need to develop renewable energy resources, these were outweighed by the wider environmental benefits associated with investigating the potential of the site for renewable energy.
Banks must begin development within three years and restore the land to its former conditon.
By Sheila Holmes
3 June 2008
URL to article: https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2008/06/04/garforth-wind-farm-plan-1000-objections-lodged/