July 19, 2013
England

Wind plan branded ‘horrendous’

Grimsby Telegraph | July 19, 2013 | www.thisisgrimsby.co.uk

Plans for four wind turbines near Louth have been submitted – signalling the “the wind turbine invasion” is well underway.

Members of the Marsh Windfarm Action Group (MWAG) are gearing themselves up for another fight as the early stages of an application for four 125 metre high turbines near Damwells Farm, in Livesy Road, Ludborough come to light.

Submitted by Aeolus Renewable Energy Ltd, the application is at the “scoping exercise” stage – the first in any major planning application – and brings the total of proposed individual turbines in East Lindsey District to 166.

The farm, once a thriving piggery, is located just off the A16 between North Thoresby and Ludborough and the turbines, if permitted, will be seen from North Thoresby and Fulstow.

Chairman of MWAG, Melvin Grovenor, says the influx of applications at various stages in East Lindsey – including those built – is “unprecedented”.

He said: “This latest application is horrendous. If this gets approved, the whole of the Marsh and Wolds will become dotted in turbines. There will be no escape from them. Every which way residents look they will be there. I fear for the residents living in the area. They are going to be hemmed in by turbines.

“They will be living in the centre of a wind turbine park. This is a wind turbine invasion, there is no doubt about that.”

It comes just weeks after West Coast Energy submitted plans for a scoping exercise at Southfield Farm in Tetney for three turbines measuring up to 115m high, adjacent to Bishopthorpe Farm, where ASC Renewables want to erect eight 105m-high turbines next to two existing turbines at Anglian Water’s Newton Marsh plant.

Meanwhile Partnership for Renewables (PfR) has appealed against East Lindsey District Council’s refusal for three turbines at nearby Louth Canal, North Thoresby, and have doubled their “community benefit package” to £37,000 per year for the 25 years the site operates.

Ludborough Parish Council are “concerned” and will discuss it at their next meeting on July 23 from 7pm at St Mary’s Church.

Chair, Councillor Janet Dixon, said: “There are definite concerns and all villagers are encouraged to attend the meeting where we will discuss the application.”

MWAG are preparing to fight Partnership for Renewables’ appeal at Louth Canal and have called for it not to be held until 2014.

Jerry Sturman, regional manager at PfR, said: “We are very disappointed with ELDC’s decision to reject our original application on highly subjective grounds.

“In refusing this well-designed project ELDC has missed an opportunity to make a significant contribution towards the UK’s renewable energy generation, on a site many local people were happy to support.”

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2013/07/19/wind-plan-branded-horrendous/