February 23, 2011
England

Nun Wood Wind Farm plan thwarted by two councils

Bedford Today, www.bedfordtoday.co.uk 22 February 2011

Campaigners were celebrating a significant victory in their fight against a proposed wind turbine development this week.

Planning committees at both Bedford Borough and Milton Keynes Councils have unanimously turned down planning applications for their area’s parts of the proposed Nun Wood Wind Farm.

Wellingborough District Council is still to consider the application for the parts of the development that would be in their area.

If the scheme goes ahead, Nun Wood Wind Farm could generate enough electricity to meet the annual average needs of between 13,700 and 15,600 homes each year.

Brian Skitterall, chairman of the Bozeat and Lavendon Oppose the Turbines (BLOT) campaign group, said: “Residents of Lavendon and Harrold who look south see the wind turbines at Petsoe Manor dominating the skyline, towering over the woodland and across the Ouse Valley.

“If this application went ahead, then when they looked in another direction the nun Wood Wind Farm would tower over both the villages.

“Given the proximity of the Burton Wold Wind Farm the local landscape would be dominated by wind farms.”

The Nun Wood Wind Farm planning application is for 12 wind turbines with associated masts, buildings and access roads.

Turbines would stretch from Lavendon and Warrington in Milton Keynes Borough across to Harrold in Bedford Borough and out to Bozeat in Wellingborough District.

In December 2008 the application was submitted to the three councils by RWE Npower Renewables who planned the scheme.

Last week Bedford Borough Council made a decision to refuse the planning application for the part of the proposal that lies within Bedford Borough.

Matt Pinfield, senior RWE Npower Renewables developer, said: “Wind Farms are an essential part of the UK’s strategy for combating climate change and providing electricity from renewables.

“We are of course disappointed at the decision of Bedford Borough Council.

“We remain confident that this is an appropriate site for a wind farm, both in environmental and planning terms, which would generate enough clean, renewable energy for thousands of homes each year.”


URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2011/02/23/nun-wood-wind-farm-plan-thwarted-by-two-councils/