July 9, 2012
England

Darwen residents in call to suspend wind turbine applications

By Dan Clough, Reporter | Lancashire Telegraph | www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk 9 July 2012

A group campaigning against a huge wind turbine in Darwen have called on the coun-cil to enforce a blanket ban on applications while official guidelines are drawn up.

The group, led by Cranberry Fold Court resident Martin Vizzard, launched their camp-aign when an application was lodged for an 85-metre high tur-bine – taller than India Mill – on land around 400ft from his home.

There was widespread opp-osition to that proposal, and it was eventually withdrawn by the applicant Mrs Gott, of Pleasant View Farm. However, a new application has been submitted by Mrs Gott for a 65-metre turb- ine. Mr Vizzard said: “It will still be as high as Darwen Tower on the skyline. It will be Darwen’s newest landmark.

“We have spent the past two months objecting to all turbine applications in the area, and we have written to Blackburn with Darwen Council leader Kate Hollern asking for a meeting to discuss suspending all turbine applications.”

Mr Vizzard said his group wants a policy put in place that sets in stone the maximum height of a turbine within a cert- ain distance of a residential prop- erty.

Other councils which have set policies on wind turbines incl-ude Milton Keynes, which bans any turbines within 1.2km of homes, while councils in Wilt-shire and Lincolnshire have also imposed restrictions.

Mr Vizzard said: “The effect these applications have on peop- le’s lives is staggering.

“When the last one went in, I was getting emails at all times in the night and early morning from people who couldn’t sleep they were that worried.”

A public meeting will be held in the near future.

North Turton and Tockholes councillor Jean Rigby said: “I am very unhappy about the new plans. Myself and my husband and fellow councillor Colin have been trying to get a committee together to put a policy in place for turbines. We need to bring in guidelines now, and I would be supportive of anything that goes against the desecration of our landscape.”

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2012/07/09/darwen-residents-in-call-to-suspend-wind-turbine-applications/