March 23, 2011
England

Proposal to site a wind turbine at Nothill Farm

by JAMES BRINDLE, Uttoxeter Advertiser, www.uttoxeteradvertiser.co.uk 23 March 2011

A planning application for a 118ft (36m) high wind turbine at a farm near Uttoxeter looks set to be submitted as a trend for such proposals on local farmland continues.

The proposed 55kW wind turbine on land at Nothill Farm in Crakemarsh follows on from similar applications throughout the area.

Last week plans for two 55ft (17m) high 5kW wind turbines for land at Upper Eaton Farm in Doveridge were given the green light by planners at Derbyshire Dales District Council.

Those plans were submitted to supply the energy for Upper Eaton Farm which is a mixed agricultural operation comprising arable and dairy farming, as well as to reduce its carbon emissions.

It appears to be a growing trend across the region with plans for two contentious wind turbines turned down by planning chiefs earlier this month.

The applications for an 82ft turbine (25m) at Chandry View Farm, in Moat Lane, near Newborough, and an identical turbine at the Stud Farm, in Needwood Road, Needwood were rejected by East Staffordshire Borough Council (ESBC).

The authority’s planning committee voted to refuse both applications, despite them being recommended for approval.

The decision for the Newborough turbine was met by a round of applause from residents who were concerned about the overlooking nature of the proposals and had packed into the meeting at Burton Town Hall.

The latest potential wind turbine in Crakemarsh, is the subject of a pre-application screening opinion request to ESBC by the applicants to see whether the proposal will require an Environmental Impact Assessment.

Again the proposal has been made as the farm looks to reduce its bills due to the rising costs of energy and they have been told that their particular site is good for wind speed.

Keith Flunder, founder of the Staffordshire Turbine Action Group (STAG) who successfully fought off an application for a 190ft turbine in Checkley, told the Advertiser that the trend may be down to the imminent introduction of the Localism Bill which will transfer more power to local people.

He said: “A lot of applications are going in now as there is a chance with the Localism Bill that there won’t be the appeal procedure for such turbine applications that there is now.

“We have been working hard on the Localism Bill and we hope with it there will be more community control.

“I have no problem with the concept of wind power but believe that local people should have the power to decide on these applications.

“The problem with the turbines we have been fighting is that they are for profit to shareholders of big energy companies and not for the community and they would not give out power and energy that is useful to anybody.”

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2011/03/23/proposal-to-site-a-wind-turbine-at-nothill-farm/