October 20, 2011
England

Protesters defeat wind turbine plan

By Andrew Clarke, The Whitehaven News, www.whitehavennews.co.uk 20 October 2011

People power has emerged victorious after controversial plans for a wind turbine on farmland near Egremont were turned down.

The plans for a single turbine on land at High Thorney, Carleton, have been meet with strong local opposition since it they were first put forward.

And members of Copeland Council’s planning panel refused permission for the turbine at their meeting on Wednesday last week.

Over 240 letters of objection and a 40-signature petition were sent to Copeland Council from residents concerned about a number of issues, including visual impact and noise.

Haile Parish Council also objected, calling the height of the turbine “monstrous”.

Councillor John Jackson told the planning meeting: “This turbine is essentially an industrial building. How can we let it be built on a greenfield site?”

Councillor Yvonne Clarkson, speaking for the Beckermet ward, raised objections on behalf of her community. She said: “This would severely infringe on the lives of people who live there.”

Fellow objector Malcolm Broach pleaded with the councillors: “Don’t destroy our countryside with this metal monster.”

He added: “There is no community benefit to the turbine. It would have an adverse effect on our wildlife and would be a scar on our landscape.”

The applicant, Robert Sherwen, did not attend the meeting. His plans were for a single turbine with a total height, including blades, of 79.6 metres. The turbine would have reduced the farm’s financial overheads and reduce carbon emissions.

Councillors, who visited the site, agreed with officers that the turbine “would be an isolated, prominent feature, incongruous in its surroundings, which would have a materially harmful effect on the character and appearance in the surrounding rural landscape”.


URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2011/10/20/protesters-defeat-wind-turbine-plan/