July 21, 2012
England

Residents’ anger at wind farm plan

The Clitheroe Advertiser and Times | www.clitheroeadvertiser.co.uk 21 July 2012

Residents are up in arms about plans to erect three wind turbines on land behind a Ribble Valley garden centre.

A planning application has been submitted to Ribble Valley Borough Council seeking permission for three 46-metre-high turbines with a 9.6 metre blade radius (50kW) to be erected on elevated green belt land behind Carr Hall Home and Garden Centre, off Whalley Road, Wilpshire.

Local residents who live near to the site of the proposed wind farm have already made their objections to the proposals known (see letters on Valley Views page 14).

A leaflet has also been delivered to properties near the site urging residents to lodge their objections to Ribble Valley Borough Council by tomorrow (Friday). It reads: “There are no other installations of this type currently constructed in such a prominent position so near to housing in the Ribble Valley.

“Is this the thin end of the wedge for other such proposals on an even large scale across the Ribble Valley that will impact on residents’ visual enjoyment of the areas, as well as impacting on property values?”

The turbines would be installed by renewable energy experts DC21 on land belonging to Carr Hall Home and Garden Centre. In a statement to planning chiefs, DC21 claims that the proposal aligns well with national and local planning policy.

“The turbines should integrate well into the landscape, impact on residential amenity and landscape character will be minimal and crucially the project will not present any significant risks to biodiversity or sensitive ecological features either on site or within the surrounding area.”

DC21 adds: “Carr Hall Home and Garden Centre will benefit from free, low carbon electricity with the balance of generated power being exported and used in the local district network. Furthermore, the CO2 savings associated with the proposal will make a significant contribution to climate change mitigation. In conclusion, the benefits associated with this project outweigh any impact.”

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2012/07/21/residents-anger-at-wind-farm-plan/