January 7, 2012
England

Wind farm decision’s High Court challenge

Evening Telegraph, www.northantset.co.uk 7 January 2012

A decision to approve plans for a wind farm near a village is set to be challenged in the High Court.

Plans put forward by RWE npower renewables for the Nun Wood wind farm, on land between Bozeat, Harrold and Lavendon on the Bedfordshire border, were approved by the Planning Inspectorate in November.

The plan was the subject of a public inquiry in October.

The plan for the wind farm was submitted to Wellingborough, Milton Keynes and Bedford Councils, and now Milton Keynes Council has mounted a legal challenge against the Planning Inspectorate’s decision to approve it.

Campaign group Bozeat and Lavendon Oppose the Turbines said on December 23 that the council had served notice through the High Court to the Planning Inspectorate, npower and the various land owners that it had lodged an appeal against the planning inspector’s decision.

Bozeat and Lavendon Oppose the Turbines chairman Brian Skittrall said: “We could not believe the inspector’s decision because it brushed aside many local impacts.

“The Nun Wood scheme is one of the most damaging of the many proposed locally, yet nothing seemed to matter to the inspector other than targets.”

Matt Pinfield, regional manager for Eastern England at RWE npower renewables, was disappointed.

Mr Pinfield said: “We are disappointed to learn of the possible legal challenge against Nun Wood wind farm.

“The application was extensively examined at the public inquiry which led to the inspector approving the wind farm after taking a considered and thorough look at all of the evidence.

“It is frustrating that, as a result of a legal challenge, the provision of urgently needed renewable energy could be delayed.

The challenge will result in significant legal costs to the local council at the expense of council tax payers, which we do not feel is in the public interest.

“We will now consider our next steps.”

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2012/01/07/wind-farm-decisions-high-court-challenge/