November 11, 2010
England

Planned £20m wind farm at Flixborough Grange back on the horizon

Scunthorpe Telegraph, www.thisisscunthorpe.co.uk 11 November 2010

Plans for a £20 million windfarm could now go ahead after developers overcame a major stumbling block.

RidgeWind wants to build a seven-turbine farm at Flixborough Grange near Burton- Upon-Stather.

When it previously submitted its proposals, North Lincolnshire councillors went against advice from their officers and turned it down.

The matter then went to a public inquiry conducted by the Government’s planning inspectorate.

Inspector John Braithwaite, who chaired the four-day hearing, upheld the council’s decision, saying the benefits of the development were not outweighed by “the very serious effect” on the “health and wellbeing” of some of the residents.

However, RidgeWind project manager Ben Moore has now confirmed since April the company had worked to put into place a mutually agreeable mitigation scheme with the objectors concerned.

The Oxfordshire-based company has now resubmitted its plans.

Mr Moore said: “The previous application had the support of the planning professionals at North Lincolnshire Council and the support of all statutory consultees.

“Several years of robust survey work and the conclusions of numerous environmental consultants have confirmed this to be an ideal site for the wind farm.

“The report by the Planning Inspectorate in April verified this finding.”

Mr Moore said the resubmitted plans for the wind farm, which would create around 50 construction jobs, remained unchanged.

If given the go ahead, the Flixborough farm would generate enough power for around 8,200 homes.

At the same time the developers are committed to paying more than £500,000 into community funds and more than £1.5 million in business rates over the lifetime of the project.

Members of the local protest group Burton Against Turbines (BAT), who have been campaigning for two years to stop the wind farm going ahead, were said to be shocked, upset and disappointed about the resubmission.

A BAT spokesman said: “An initial door-to-door survey carried out by 30 volunteers showed that 93 per cent of the population were against the wind farm.

“Some of those will have mellowed by now and have got used to the wind farm at nearby Bagmoor.

“We held a big party in April after winning the inquiry but the party mood has now gone a bit flat.

“We will have to wait and see how it all pans out.”

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2010/11/11/planned-20m-wind-farm-at-flixborough-grange-back-on-the-horizon/