April 24, 2013
England

Outrage over turbine plan at Borwick

By Stephanie Manley, Reporter | 24 April 2013 | The Westmorland Gazette | www.thewestmorlandgazette.co.ukBy Stephanie Manley, Reporter | 24 April 2013 | The Westmorland Gazette | www.thewestmorlandgazette.co.uk

Plans for a ‘monster’ wind turbine that could be seen within five kilometres of its proposed north Lancashire site have caused outrage.

An application submitted to Lancaster City Council for the 45-metre high structure at Borwick Fishing would see the construction just 600 metres away from the village.

Applicant Mike Smith, who owns the Catch 23 restaurant at the fishery, was granted consent by the council in 2009 for two 10-metre turbines, though they were never built.

A landscape assessment of the new plans stated that views of the turbine would be ‘minimal beyond five kilometres’ due to its ‘moderate’ scale and the level of screening – but locals are not happy.

Resident David Scott said “It is totally out of keeping with the area. It will be overbearing and dominate the landscape.

“I am also concerned that if permission is granted for one turbine, how many more will there then be in the future? We have circulated a petition around the village and there seems to be a large response.”

Terry Coates, whose house is 350 metres from the site, said: “I have been here nearly 20 years and I did not come here to live under a wind turbine. The application says it will be screened but there are no 45-metre tall trees round here.”

Parish meeting chairman Bryan Fell said people in the parish were ‘not happy’ and there were also concerns about alleged errors within the application.

Area of Outstanding Nat-ural Beauty officer David Askew said the application documents showed the AONB on the north east of the proposed site when it was in fact on the west.

“We are disappointed with the quality of the work,” he said.

A city council spokesman said planners would visit the site to evaluate views .

Mr Smith said he could not comment on the documents because he had contracted the work to consultants but that there seemed to be ‘a lot of speculation’ from residents.

He said: “It’s quite an open space next to the M6 and in a line of pylons, so to make comments about it being a blot on the landscape is a little subjective.”


URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2013/04/24/outrage-over-turbine-plan-at-borwick/