October 6, 2011
England

Prospect of a new battle against wind farm plan

Staffordshire Newsletter, www.staffordshirenewsletter.co.uk 6 October 2011

Campaigners against a wind farm in South Staffordshire are preparing for another battle as the company behind it plans to lodge an appeal.

Wind Prospect is continuing with its bid to install six 128-metre turbines at New House Farm, near Brineton, after a planning inspector ruled they could put up a test mast.

South Staffordshire Council threw out two planning applications by the company earlier this year. The first was for the wind farm and the second was for the 80- metre anemometry mast, which monitors wind speeds.

It followed a long campaign by residents throughout Church Eaton, Wheaton Aston, Marston, Blymhill and High Onn who were against the scheme amid fears it would wreck the countryside and send house prices plummeting. They formed the action group STAG (Stop Turbines Action Group) to fight the plans.

But Wind Prospect appealed against the test mast decision and following a hearing in August planning inspector Alan Gray overturned it and gave the go-ahead.

This week Paul Grimshaw, development manager at Wind Prospect, revealed the company was now lodging an appeal against the wind farm decision as well.

He said: “We believe we have a strong case for appeal and feel that insufficient weight was given to the need for this renewable energy development.

“In fact, the West Midlands generates less energy from renewable sources than any other region in the UK.

“Projects like King’s Street will make an important contribution to tackling climate change and reducing our reliance on diminishing fossil fuels.” Tony Lendon, from STAG, said: “We have been waiting to see whether this would happen. We will fight the appeal.”

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2011/10/06/prospect-of-a-new-battle-against-wind-farm-plan/