August 15, 2013
England

Campaigners prepare fight against wind turbines

Grimsby Telegraph | August 15, 2013 | www.thisisgrimsby.co.uk

A date has been set for the appeal hearing of plans to build three wind turbines near North Thoresby.

Bosses behind Partnership for Renewables Ltd’s application for three 110-metre high turbines along Fen Lane (Louth Canal) will argue East Lindsey District Council’s refusal was made on ‘highly subjective grounds’.

It will be heard at ELDC headquarters, Tedder Hall, Manby on January 21 and is likely to last six days.

Now the Marsh Windfarm Action Group (MWAG), are preparing their case and chairman, Melvin Grosvenor, has urged the community to unite in the fight against the appeal – and the tirade of other applications recently made for the area.

He said: “Traditionally, parish councils have only had to deal with matters in their patch but with the number of these wind turbines, how they are spread out and the high visibility of them, they affect everyone in the local area.”

Currently, MWAG, are fighting several windfarm applications between Humberston and Marshchapel – equating to 41 individual turbines.

These include two existing and eight in planning at Bishopthorpe Farm, Tetney, eight at Brickyard Farm, Fulstow and four 125-metre-high at Damswell Farm, Ludborough.

Mr Grosvenor is keeping the angle of their appeal top secret for now, but confirmed he will fly blimps the height of the three potential turbines to illustrate to the planning inspectorate, the impact it will have on the landscape.

He did the same at the appeals for eight-turbine windfarm at Baumber and six-turbine windfarm at Anderby – and won.

But funding the appeal will not be easy and he is now looking at ways of raising the money to ensure their case is the best it can possibly be and has called on the increased support of residents.

He added: “This has got to be a community effort. It is no good MWAG doing the lion’s share. We need everyone working together. The local parish councils haven’t got the resources alone, but with MWAG, collectively we can make a clear case at the hearing. There is every chance we will be successful but sitting back and doing nothing is not an option. We must all pull together.

“MWAG will be right in the heart of this public enquiry process. By putting our name out there and making sure everyone is fully involved it can be done, but we need everyone’s support to be a success.”

In total, ELDC have spent £500,000 fighting appeals for windfarm applications they have rejected.

A spokesperson for the authority said: “Our planning committee refused the planning application because of the impact the proposed windfarm would have on the local area. We will defend our decision at appeal.”

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2013/08/15/campaigners-prepare-fight-against-wind-turbines/