June 29, 2012
England

Relief as turbine plan is rejected

By Julian Whittle | News & Star | www.newsandstar.co.uk 29 June 2012

Villagers at Cumwhinton appear to have scored a final and emphatic victory in their campaign to stop a 328ft wind turbine from being built nearby.

Principal planning inspector Wendy Burden has ruled against the scheme from Bolsterstone Innovative Energy to erect a turbine at Newlands Farm, near M6 junction 42.

She says it would cause “overwhelming and intolerable harm” to the residents of Cringles Farm, which is only 460 yards away, and to a lesser extent the occupants of Beech Cottage.

Mrs Burden chaired a three-day public inquiry at Carlisle Civic Centre in May.

Colin Stamper, who lives at Cringles Farm, was a prime mover in the Against Newlands Windfarm campaign.

He said: “There’s a lot of relief in the village.

“You can never say never but hopefully common sense will prevail and this will be the end of it.

“If this proposal had been in Gretna, it would never have got this far because the Scottish Executive does not allow turbines to be built so close to residential property.”

A previous application for three turbines was turned down in 2010, following an inquiry, because the inspector felt they would have an unacceptable impact on Cringles Farm and Beech Cottage.

Carlisle City Council refused the planning application for a single turbine last year for the same reason. Bolsterstone appealed, triggering an inquiry.

Mr Stamper added: “If it had been allowed, it would have been a foot in the door and there may well have been other applications for turbines on this and other sites around Carlisle.

“It would have set a precedent.

“We’ve had nearly 50,000 hits on our web site because people all over the country have been monitoring this.”

Nobody from Bolsterstone was available for comment.

More than 1,100 people objected to the firm’s planning application, including Carlisle MP John Stevenson.

The Conservative said: “The decision is a great relief and I’m absolutely delighted.”

Like the inspector at the previous inquiry in 2009, Mrs Burden rejected objectors’ arguments that the turbine would harm the landscape and cause noise, disturbance and shadow flicker.

And she dismissed the idea that it might distract motorists on the M6.

But she was convinced that the impact on Cringles Farm and the adjoining holiday cottage would be unacceptable.

Her report says: “The turbine would be visible from base to tip from the master bedroom and from the bathroom, forming a significant and obtrusive feature to the residents.

“At this height and distance it is inevitable that, with uninterrupted views, the turbine would become a dominant and intrusive feature.”

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2012/06/29/relief-as-turbine-plan-is-rejected/