March 9, 2012
England

Plans for new wind farm access ‘add insult to injury’

Yorkshire Post, www.yorkshirepost.co.uk 9 March 2012

Villagers are furious over a developer’s plans to change the construction access to a new wind farm, just months after the route was agreed at a public inquiry.

Campaigners in Spaldington – population 130 – spent two and a half years and nearly £80,000 fighting two wind farm applications – one of which got the go-ahead on appeal last October.

They say a new planning application by the developer Falck, which is building five massive turbines, to shift the access bringing it closer to the village – and just 150m from one of the resident’s houses – “adds insult to injury.”

Nearly 50 people have objected to the proposals which will be discussed by the East Riding Council’s planning committee next Thursday.

Alison Taylor, who lives next door, said it was “going to be horrendous”.

She and her husband Paul, former chairman of Spaldington Turbine Opposition Protest group, run a distribution businesses, and she said they were “worried sick” that they wouldn’t get deliveries in and out.

She said: “They say it is only temporary but a year in the life of our business is a huge amount of time. It looks alright on paper but the reality is that there will be chaos as they will be queuing up to get into the access as it’s only a single track road.

“They pride themselves on consulting but they have never been to see us or rung us at all. The forum they keep mentioning will be too little, too late.”

STOP – which is battling proposals for yet more turbines – says the new entrance and access track, which will be along the C88 “will cause far greater harm to residential amenity, far greater disruption to users of the C88, and far greater ecological effects with potential harms to water snakes, grass voles and species rich hedgerow.”

It will, they say, need more construction materials requiring 200 HGV movements, adding to the carbon footprint of the development.

Wendy McKay, a STOP member, said: “People are furious. It is adding insult to injury. It is bad enough that we lost the appeal and we have had to put up with having a wind farm imposed on us 700m from some peoples’ houses and we now have another two to fight, eight in the River Valley Farm and two or three on the Common. We haven’t a choice but to fight.”

Coun Paul Robinson, who represents Howdenshire on East Riding Council, will speak against the application at the meeting. He said: “If we can’t stop it I am going to be asking for a bank to be constructed between the road and the affected property, significant landscaping and a metalled road to reduce the dust.”

Falck says they want the alternative route to avoid gas and water mains crossing the Spaldington Airfield road and running down the B1228, as well as removing potential traffic conflicts with HGVs associated with other businesses on the airfield.

A spokesman said: “The proposed access will shorten the overall vehicular route to site and as a result cause reduced disruption on local roads. The alternative access will mean that some properties along the original route will not be passed by HGVs.”

Council planners back the plans – saying the departure from the Inspector’s agreed plan is an “amendment which must be judged on its own individual merits.”

It adds: “There have been considerable objections from local residents on the grounds of adverse effects on local residential amenity and the operational amenities of a local business.

“These concerns are noted but a package of measures and conditions can be utilised to manage all aspects of the construction process.”

The first wind farm community meeting for the wind farm is being held on March 27.

Residents interested in taking part are asked to contact Coriolis Energy on 01628 629 344, or email vicky.portwain@coriolis-energy.com.


URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2012/03/09/plans-for-new-wind-farm-access-add-insult-to-injury/