November 28, 2012
England

Orby Wind Farm Public Inquiry delayed to hear new evidence

Skegness Standard | 28 November 2012 | www.skegnessstandard.co.uk

A public inquiry into a controversial wind farm proposal has been delayed to hear new evidence from the developer.

Planning inspector Trevor Cookson had been expected to make a ruling on the Orby Wind Farm application sometime around Christmas, based on evidence presented at October’s public inquiry.

But he has now decided the inquiry must be resumed to hear new evidence submitted by landowner Mark Caudwell’s team responding to potential noise concerns posed by the nine turbine development.

Opponents of the proposal fear the delays will cause more anguish to neighbouring residents, many of whom have been fighting the application for over a decade.

They also fear the resumed inquiry will burden the taxpayer with yet more costs, following previous delays caused by East Lindsey District Council’s procedural errors.

Lincolnshire County Council’s ward member for Ingoldmells Rural, Coun Colin Davie, who presented evidence against the application at the original inquiry, said: “From the outset I have maintained that the applicant had failed to address properly the environmental impacts that his application had raised.

“The fact the inquiry now has to reopen to hear new evidence on noise submitted by Mark Caudwell Ltd only indicates how shoddy the original application was.

“More worryingly this is going ot place a further additional burden on the hard pressed taxpayers of East Lindsey.”

The new evidence forms the applicant’s response to a submission made by Coun Angie Smith who raised objections to the development on noise grounds.

Orby Windfarm Action Group’s Melvin Grosvenor believes the Coun Smith’s evidence demonstrates ‘how crucial it was to have a full public inquiry where all the evidence could be heard’ although he shares Coun Davie’s concerns about costs.


URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2012/11/28/orby-wind-farm-public-inquiry-delayed-to-hear-new-evidence/