‘Relief’ as Forest of Bowland wind farm is refused

Credit: Lancashire Evening Post | 26 June 2013 | www.lep.co.uk ~~

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Plans for 10 wind turbines in the Forest of Bowland have been turned down.

Lancaster Council have unanimously refused the third application from Community Windpower Ltd for the turbines on Claughton and Whit Moor, east of Caton.

The first application was for 20 turbines, and then for 13, before finally plans were put forward for 10.

The Open Spaces Society, Britain’s oldest national conservation body, backed campaign group Stop Claughton Turbines in objecting to the scheme – which would have created generated electricity for 13,000 homes.

Kate Ashbrook, the society’s general manager, said: “We are relieved that the council has rejected this damaging scheme. The hillside is in the designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

“It is common land and open country where people have the right to walk. It is the wrong place for a wind factory.

“We congratulate Lancaster’s planning committee for its robust rejection of this development and trust that this will now be the end of it.”

The site for the scheme would have been opposite the operational Caton Moor Windfarm, which is made up of eight turbines.

It would have also involved an access track, a control and substation building, and borrow pits.

Community Windpower Ltd said the plans would have created £1,000 for a Community Trust Fund per megawatt the turbines generated per year for 25 years.

They said the farm therefore had the capacity to generate £23,000 per year for the fund, which would have been open to community groups and charities.

Planning officers had recommend the plans be turned down because ‘exceptional circumstances’ for the development had not been demonstrated, and it would harm the area.

Morecambe and Lunesdale MP David Morris also campaigned against the development, and said he was pleased with the decision.

He said: “The local community has been against this development and I have reflected that opposition by campaigning against the wind farm.

“Claughton Moor is a beautiful place and 10 wind turbines would, in my opinion, destroy this beautiful countryside.”

The application was turned down by the council’s planning committee on Monday evening.

Source: Lancashire Evening Post | 26 June 2013 | www.lep.co.uk

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