March 16, 2012
England

Turbine plan is blown away by resident fears

Lancashire Evening Post, www.lep.co.uk 16 March 2012

Plans for a turbine which neighbours said would damage part of the Lancashire countryside have been thrown out.

Landowner Ted Clayton wanted to build a 24.8m high turbine on land in Flag Lane, Penwortham.

But more than 200 residents objected, saying the structure would create noise nuisance, affect property values, affect the look of the area and set a “precedent” for future turbines to be built.

And members of South Ribble Council’s planning committee voted to reject the plan.

Kathy Roper, a resident of Flag Lane, said: “This benefits only one person to the detriment of hundreds.”

Another resident, who introduced himself as a qualified chartered engineer, said: “It is the wrong technology in the wrong place.

“It is not in keeping with the local plan, it will contravene future legislation and it completely ignores the experience of others.”

Committee member Coun Dorothy Gardner said: “The proposal would have an unacceptable impact on the character and visual appearance of the local area.”

But other supported the scheme.

John Lamb, from Friends of the Earth, said wind power was a “step forward” away from reliance on fossil fuels.

Mr Clayton’s agent said the turbine would be “quite quiet” and there were “bigger structures than this moving electricity around” in the area. But councillors voted to reject it.

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2012/03/16/turbine-plan-is-blown-away-by-resident-fears/