September 12, 2011
England

Wellow wind farm decision on hold

Report by Emily Wells Isle of Wight Radio, www.iwradio.co.uk 12 September 2011

A decision on plans for Five Giant Wind Turbines at Wellow has been put hold. Isle of Wight Council is requesting further information before the plans will go to public consultation again.

The initial consultation on plans for the Vectis Wind Farm closed on the 12th August. Since then the local authority says it has assessed the hundreds of representations made and has found that a number of parties are not satisfied with the amount of detail in the plans.

English Heritage wants more information on how the visual impact would affect nearby heritage sites. Natural England are requesting full data on the impact the turbines would have on birds and bats, and the Isle of Wight AONB Partnership claim there is insufficient information about the impact of the turbine pads, the new access tracks and building and the connection to the national grid.

There are also requests for more details from the Isle of Wight Badgers Trust, Ramblers Association, The RSPB, and from various departments within the Isle of Wight Council itself. The principal planning officer has written to Infinergy, the energy company behind the plan, to request the additional information.

The Council also asks the company to revise their cumulative impact report to include a review a of the Cheverton Wind Farm Appeal, and there’s also news of future single turbine application on land near Betty Haunt Lane in Newport, which the council also advises Infinergy to take into account in the cumulative impact report, although an application for this 83m turbine isn’t expected to be submitted to the Council until later this month.

The Council says it can’t enforce a deadline for the new information but has asked Infinergy to provide it in a timely manner. If the local authority feels that there is an unreasonable delay in the information being provided they will go ahead with making a decision.

The Council will then hold another 21 day public consultation before the plans will finally go to committee.

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2011/09/12/wellow-wind-farm-decision-on-hold/