March 2, 2011
England

Withdraw plan for wind farm say protesters

By Lewis Rudd, The Wokingham Times, www.getwokingham.co.uk 2 March 2011

Protestors fighting plans for a four-turbine wind farm on land near Arborfield are calling for the blueprints to be withdrawn after hearing fresh information will be submitted.

The team behind plans to install four wind turbines at Rushy Mead, which is sandwiched between Arborfield, Lower Earley and Shinfield, is to add further information to the planning application it handed over to Wokingham Borough Council last year.

It is understood the applicant, Partnerships for Renewables (PfR), will submit the additional paperwork within the next two weeks.

According to a company spokesman, the information relates to additional findings attempting to address any on-site fears about flooding.

It also contains comments and answers to questions raised to the team at public consultation sessions held last year with residents living in the areas around the wind farm.

PfR submitted a planning application to the council in October last year seeking permission to install the wind turbines at the University of Reading-owned site.

However, representatives of Householders Against Rushy Mead (HARM), who are campaigning against the development, believe residents should be fully consulted about the additional information before planning bosses are able to make a formal decision.

The group claims an opportunity to make an outright decision on the application has been deferred on at least three occasions in the past.

And Jan Heard, who is a member of HARM, voiced her frustration over the repeated delays surrounding the application.

She said: “The decision date on this planning application has already been postponed three times and we are told it might be postponed again.

“This application should be withdrawn, rather than be deferred again.”

Mrs Heard went on to explain how the application, as she understands, is to be discussed by the planning committeeon Wednesday, March 30.

She claims, however, that feedback received by the group suggests the application could be deferred from this meeting.

Marcia Head, development management team leader at the council, denied such suggestions.

“As we do not know when [the new information] will be received we cannot say for certain which meeting the application will be reported to.

“The application has not been previously been deferred from any meetings.”

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2011/03/02/withdraw-plan-for-wind-farm-say-protesters/