Council opposes wind farm plans near Royston

Credit: By Matthew Gooding | Royston Crow | September 12, 2013 | www.royston-crow.co.uk ~~

Councillors have urged planning bosses to reject proposals for a “huge” wind farm near Royston.

The Highfield Wind Farm would consist of five 100-metre high turbines on land at Highfield Farm, Litlington.

South Cambridgeshire District Council’s planning committee is due to consider the plans shortly, and at a meeting of Royston Town Council’s planning committee on Monday, councillors raised concerns that the farm would tower over the town.

Cllr John Davison said: “The whole of Royston is going to see it, it’s going to be huge. The turbines are 50 metres tall, and will stand 50-60 metres above sea level. They will tower over Therfield Heath and tower over the town.

“The conservators of Therfield Heath say no, Therfield Parish Council say no, and the people of Litlington say no. We should say no too. We haven’t always seen eye-to-eye with South Cambs District Council about planning, and I hope that isn’t going to be the case here.”

There has been widespread opposition to the scheme, with Litlington residents starting the Stop Litlington Wind Farm campaign when the turbines were first mooted last year.

Cllr Marguerite Phillips said: “This amounts to industrialisation of a rural area, and I want to show support for the people of Litlington who say this is not a suitable location for a wind farm.”

The committee recommended the plans be rejected, but Cllr Elizabeth Freeman is backing the wind farm.

She said: “We do need to get our electricity from somewhere. I’m in favour of it.”

Earlier this year Phil Jones, from the Stop Litlington Wind Farm campaign, told the Crow: “We maintain this low-lying land isn’t the obvious place to put a wind farm.”

Costing £10-£15-million to build, the farm would  provide enough energy for  up to 5,000 homes.

Farmer Ralph Parker is developing the farm in partnership with renewable energy specialists Engena. He believes the turbines are “a small price to pay” for green energy.

Source: By Matthew Gooding | Royston Crow | September 12, 2013 | www.royston-crow.co.uk

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