February 3, 2012
England

Planners reject wind farm plan

Sleaford Standard, www.sleafordstandard.co.uk 2 February 2012

A bid to site a wind farm of up to 22 turbines, each dwarfing the Boston Stump, on fenland near Sleaford has been stopped – for now.

North Kesteven District Council’s planning committee voted against the 54MW scheme at Six Hundred Farm, East Heckington, put forward by renewable energy firm Ecotricity.

Councillors claim it would adversely affect the visual impact of the historic fen landscape and would create a cumulative effect when coupled with an existing wind farm at nearby Bicker Fen.

Councillors’ comments will be passed on to the Secretary of State at the Department for Energy and Climate Change who had been due to make the final decision.

Planning officers advised that councillors’ objections would trigger a public inquiry. The minister will also be asked to look again at the effect on roads as construction would involve 176 heavy, wide loads transporting turbine parts from Goole by night, requiring a police escort.

Ward member Coun Stewart Ogden proposed the objection, saying they should be setting a precedent in the district.

* For more on this story, see this week’s Sleaford Standard.


URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2012/02/03/planners-reject-wind-farm-plan/