June 19, 2012
England

Anger at ‘big’ turbine plans

Mid Devon Gazette, www.thisisnorthdevon.co.uk 19 June 2012

Opposition is mounting against plans to erect what could become the largest wind turbine on the Blackdown Hills.

John Hawker hopes to win permission from Mid Devon District Council to install the 34m green energy generator at Highlands Farm, Hemyock.

The council has received around 120 letters from the public with only one in support of the proposal.

Lisa Turner, planning officer for the Blackdown Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), said: “We are supportive of small scale renewable energy schemes, provided there is no conflict with the special qualities of the hills.

“At 34m this turbine would fall into the ‘medium category’ and is the largest turbine application in the AONB to date.”

The 50kw turbine costing around £250,000 with a blade diameter of around 63ft will power Mr Hawker’s growing meat and poultry business if permission is given.

Mr Hawker said: “According to our supplier, it will be very quiet and you will hardly be able to hear it. We have got to these days whether people like it or not, get our energy from somewhere and if we can produce green energy, it has to be the way forward,” added Mr Hawker, who said the Government class the turbine as ‘small’. Mr Hawker’s agent Tristan Tonks, of Energy Descent Ltd, said many shorter wind turbines do not work properly.


URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2012/06/19/anger-at-big-turbine-plans/