September 1, 2011
England

Wind turbine on waste site

Chorley Guardian, www.chorley-guardian.co.uk 1 September 2011

Controversial plans have emerged to build a giant wind turbine on the site of a former waste site near Chorley.

Residents living near the Biffa Waste Services, in Withnell, have successfully campaigned to close the facility for a number of years.

However their joy has turned shortlived after Temporis Wind announced plans to submit a planning application for a 78m turbine on agricultural land on Bolton Road.

If successful, it with produce electrical energy and have an operational life of 25 years.

The plans will also include access roads, cabling and grid connection and the wind turbine and associated work will take around three months to build.

Resident Tony Hacking, who has campaigned in the past, said: “I’ve lived in the area for five years and have had to look at that waste site. It’s just getting sorted out, and now we’re faced with this.

“We’ve been fighting plans for so many years, I thought we’d seen the end of it, but I really don’t want a wind turbine near my house.

“They’re a real blot on the landscape and it’ll be a monstrosity.

“This is a lovely place, and a wind turbine will ruin it without a doubt.”

Chris Parry, general manger of the energy division at Biffa said: “The Withnell landfill site is a closed site which is currently being restored. This includes covering the site with top soils and planting trees.

“Temporis Wind has approached Biffa regarding the land at the Withnell site and the potential development of a wind turbine to generate renewable energy.

“Temporis Wind has also written to the planning authority at Lancashire County Council and is currently awaiting its comments.”

Mark Byrne, on behalf on Temporis Wind, assured residents the development will not be a nuisance, and welcomed their feedback.

He said: “Temporis Wind are committed to ensuring that local communities are consulted and informed of developments during the Environmental Appraisal process.”

He added that noise disturbance from the turbine would also be minimal, saying: “With careful site design, appropriate choice of turbine for the site and the use of well-established assessment techniques, a robust assurance of the protection of noise amenity to local residents living nearby can be provided.”


URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2011/09/01/wind-turbine-on-waste-site/