LOCATION/TYPE

NEWS HOME

[ exact phrase in "" • results by date ]

[ Google-powered • results by relevance ]


Archive
RSS

Add NWW headlines to your site (click here)

Get weekly updates

WHAT TO DO
when your community is targeted

RSS

RSS feeds and more

Keep Wind Watch online and independent!

Donate via Paypal

Donate via Stripe

Selected Documents

All Documents

Research Links

Alerts

Press Releases

FAQs

Campaign Material

Photos & Graphics

Videos

Allied Groups

Wind Watch is a registered educational charity, founded in 2005.

News Watch Home

Wind farm plans blown off course 

Credit:  The Sentinel | October 18, 2012 | www.thisisstaffordshire.co.uk ~~

Developers will be blocked from building wind farms in the Staffordshire countryside as part of plans to protect tourism and rural communities.

Staffordshire County Council’s cabinet yesterday signed a new policy on controversial turbine developments, which members hope will put off developers targeting the region’s green space.

It comes as authorities prepare for a rush of planning applications for wind farms amid speculation the Government is on the brink of slashing subsidies for on-shore wind energy plants.

The move has been attacked by the wind power industry as ‘undemocratic.’

The authority’s policy will see it steer its own verdicts on large developments and give district councils formal grounds for objecting. It states:

No wind farms should be built within 2km of residential developments to protect homeowners from noise disturbance and spoiled views;

Applications for wind farms encroaching on beauty spots such as the Moorlands’ Peak National Park, or positioned within 2km of the boundaries, should be rejected;

Views of historic or significant landmarks, including buildings, parks, gardens, conservation areas and churches should not be compromised;

Any wind farm that does win approval must deliver proven ‘economic, social, environmental and community benefits’ – as well as posing no threat to tourism.

The policy concerns ‘large scale’ wind farm proposals, including any that include a single turbine more than 50 metres high, any development including two turbines higher than 30 metres and any development of 10 turbines of any size.

It also covers wind farms designed primarily to generate and sell power to the national grid, rather than a specific house or the local network.

County councillor Mark Winnington, cabinet member for environment and assets, said: “The council is very concerned large wind energy proposals would result in the industrialisation of a high rural county renowned for the quality of its landscapes.

“The importance of uninterrupted vistas is a significant aspect of the character of the Staffordshire landscape.”

Despite being a key part of the Government’s renewable energy strategy, wind farms often stall due to opposition from residents.

Campaigners successfully fought plans to build a 132-metre turbine at Checkley sewage works, between Uttoxeter and Cheadle.

But earlier this month, planning permission was granted for a 34.2 metre mast at Red Earth Farm in Rudyard,

Robert Norris, of Renewable UK, the trade body representing the wind power industry, said: “Any attempt to introduce what could amount to a blanket ban on wind energy would be undemocratic. Each proposal should be examined on a case-by-case basis.

“Arbitrary limits on how we generate clean energy should not be imposed, as they are blunt instruments which take no account of local conditions.”

Source:  The Sentinel | October 18, 2012 | www.thisisstaffordshire.co.uk

This article is the work of the source indicated. Any opinions expressed in it are not necessarily those of National Wind Watch.

The copyright of this article resides with the author or publisher indicated. As part of its noncommercial educational effort to present the environmental, social, scientific, and economic issues of large-scale wind power development to a global audience seeking such information, National Wind Watch endeavors to observe “fair use” as provided for in section 107 of U.S. Copyright Law and similar “fair dealing” provisions of the copyright laws of other nations. Send requests to excerpt, general inquiries, and comments via e-mail.

Wind Watch relies entirely
on User Funding
   Donate via Paypal
(via Paypal)
Donate via Stripe
(via Stripe)

Share:

e-mail X FB LI TG TG Share


News Watch Home

Get the Facts
CONTACT DONATE PRIVACY ABOUT SEARCH
© National Wind Watch, Inc.
Use of copyrighted material adheres to Fair Use.
"Wind Watch" is a registered trademark.

 Follow:

Wind Watch on X Wind Watch on Facebook

Wind Watch on Linked In Wind Watch on Mastodon