January 16, 2013
England

Protesters gear up to fight Ecotricity as wind farm enquiry is announced

January 16, 2013 | www.burnham-on-sea.com

A week-long public enquiry is to be held in Burnham-On-Sea next month as an energy firm seeks to reverse a council decision to turn down its plans to build a new wind farm.

Ecotricity has submitted an appeal to the Planning Inspectorate in a bid to reverse Sedgemoor District Council’s decision to reject controversial plans for four huge wind turbines at Black Ditch in West Huntspill, pictured.

The application was turned down last April by district councillors due to landscape and biodiversity concerns, as reported here.

Next month’s public enquiry will be held in Burnham’s Princess Theatre starting on February 19th and is expected to last five days. Members of the public will be able to attend.

The action group opposed to the wind farm has met with Sedgemoor District Council and have been assured that the council will fight the appeal vehemently.

The action group has applied to stand as a separate entity under what is known as a ‘Rule 6 Party’ which means the action group can put forward a greater defence than the council alone could.

“This is the final chapter in the two-and-a-half year fight to stop these monstrosities despoiling our countryside and killing numerous birds that overfly the site from the inland levels to the feeding grounds in the Bridgwater Bay,” Julie Trott of the Huntspill Wind Farm Action Group, right, told Burnham-On-Sea.com.

Protesters opposed to the plans say they are disappointed that Ecotricity has submitted the appeal.

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2013/01/16/protesters-gear-up-to-fight-ecotricity-as-wind-farm-enquiry-is-announced/