Residents oppose wind turbines between Uffington and Tallington 

Residents of a historic manor house have set up a website outlining their concerns over plans for two wind turbines near their home.

Nicholas Watts, of Vine House Farm, Deeping St Nicholas, has applied to South Kesteven District Council to build two 130ft turbines on his land between Uffington and Tallington.

Residents of Casewick Hall, which lies less than half a mile away from the proposed site, have raised a number of concerns about the application and have set up www.casewickwindfarm.com to explain them.

The Grade I listed property, which was built in the 1600s, was split into 12 separate homes in the 1970s. Joanna Coulton and her husband Tim are one of the families living there.

Mrs Coulton said: “It is very worrying. I understand the need for renewable energy but we also need to protect historic buildings.

“The turbines are going to be about 2,060ft from a Grade I listed building. It is a really important historic building and it is going to spoil the views of it.

“Being so close to both Uffington and Tallington with their historic churches, it is going to affect the views of the whole area.”

Mrs Coulton is also concerned about noise from the turbines. Applicant Mr Watts owns the wind farm at Vine House Farm in Deeping St Nicholas, which was the subject of a five-year High Court battle.

Julian and Jane Davis claimed they were driven out of their home in North Drove Bank, Spalding, by noise from the eight turbines at Deeping St Nicholas.

They sued landowners Mr Watts and RC Tinsley Ltd, as well as Fenland Windfarms Ltd and Fenland Green Power Co-operative Ltd, who own and operate the wind farm, but settled out of court last year.

Mr Watts said the two proposed turbines near Tallington would be smaller than those on his farm in Deeping St Nicholas and would not cause any problems.

He said: “I don’t think there will be any noise. We have spoken to one of the residents and taken his concerns on board and we are moving the turbines further away from Casewick Hall.

“We are going to see a similar size turbine which is being built in two or three weeks to see how much noise it makes.

“We don’t want to upset anyone. I don’t think residents will be able to hear them. These turbines won’t be as big as the ones in Deeping St Nicholas.”

Mr Watts also disputed the claims that the turbines would affect the views of Casewick Hall, St Michael’s Church in Uffington and St Lawrence’s Church in Tallington.

He added: “You can’t see the hall from where the turbines are and you won’t be able to see the turbines from the hall. You won’t be able to get both in the same picture.”

The two turbines will generate a maximum of 50kw and will power the chicken unit at Casewick Farm.

Parish councils in Uffington and Tallington have both voted to oppose the plans.

Their decisions were based on Lincolnshire County Council’s recent change in guidelines, which states that turbines should not be built within 1.2 miles of historic monuments, parks and church steeples. Both the village churches are within this zone.

South Kesteven District Council has set a deadline of Friday next week for people to comment on the plans.

Visit www.southkesteven.gov.uk/planning to have your say.