February 24, 2011
England

Wind farm plans on horizon

Retford Times, www.thisisretford.co.uk 24 February 2011

Villages in the Retford area could become home to a clutch of wind farms as developers consider proposals for nearly 30 turbines at three separate developments.

This week, villagers in and near Cottam learned of an appeal against a district council decision to refuse planning permission for a 12-turbine wind farm in the area.

Meanwhile, energy giant EDF has published a “scoping study” providing information on plans for 10 wind turbines approximately 115m-high in the Wheatley area.

And yesterday afternoon, a public exhibition at Saundby Village Hall was held to introduce a third proposal – this time from the Environment Agency – to the local community in and around Beckingham.

Although studies are still in their early stages, the agency is examining the possibility of a development of six 2.5 megawatt turbines on land between Saundby and Gainsborough.

In theory, the turbines would be capable of generating 33 gigawatt hours of green electricity a year, enough to power 7,200 homes.

Jo Fleming, regional manager of developer Power For Renewables, said a planning application was still over a year away.

She said: “We want to ensure local communities and interest groups can contribute to our investigations and have access to information throughout the process.

“If the results of the detailed technical and environmental studies now underway prove positive, we (are) likely to submit a planning application no earlier than mid-2012.

“We are starting to discuss plans with neighbours and communities. This will enable us to see how we can best shape an effective wind energy development and could potentially include additional turbines on neighbouring land.”

Meanwhile, proposals by EDF Energy Renewables Ltd outlined in a “scoping study” suggest 10 turbines, each capable of generating two megawatts, to be located south of South Wheatley and between Clarborough and Sturton-le-Steeple.

Information from the study will factor into the environmental statement.

This would be followed by an environmental impact assessment and an eventual planning application submitted to Bassetlaw Council.

John Anderson, chair of Wheatley Energy Forum, said residents worried about a wind farm in the area had their fears verified.

He said: “We now know that what we expected is coming true and that there will be an industrial wind farm of enormous size, unless the community can influence that decision to have either no wind farm or a wind farm of a modest size.

“There seems a great opportunity to profit from the proximity to power stations that we have endured for some time.”

For more information on the appeal for the Cottam application, see page three.

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2011/02/24/wind-farm-plans-on-horizon/