October 17, 2013
England

Scarisbrick residents raise objections to wind turbine proposal

Oct 17 2013 by Tom Duffy, Southport Visiter | www.southportvisiter.co.uk

A plan to build two 121ft high wind turbines at Scarisbrick Marina has been opposed by residents and business owners.

The structures, which will dwarf the tower at Scarisbrick Hall, will have rotatating 120ft blades.

The two free-standing wind turbines, which will be built in the south west of the marina basin development, will provide electricity to the £2m site.

The application has been submitted by Alan Mawdsley, who owns the greenbelt site.

The proposal document, by agents Graham Anthony Associates, states that turbines will be 350 metres away from the nearest houses, and green.

It reads: “The application site is a well-established leisure facility, whereby the owners are seeking to tap into the wind energy technology in order to provide them with sufficient power to supply to clients using the marina.

“This, therefore, contributes to sustainable development whilst also providing a valuable contribution to the Government’s targets in respect of renewable energy.”

However the application has attracted criticism from a number of quarters.

Jason Tyler, chairman to the committee at Northway Caravan Park, submitted a letter which stated: “Relative to most caravan parks, this is a quiet site. We state that we enjoy unrestricted views of the marina and surrounding area. This is the major draw to our site and what our members take pleasure in.

“Therefore, two windturbines with a column height of 75ft and three blades spanning 120ft, directly in our eye-line, will impact greatly on the visual aesthetic of our site. The proposed turbines will be a defining feature in the area and seen from a great distance.”

A letter from Mr and Mrs D I Brown states: “The proposed turbine site is adjacent to two conservation areas, and due to the scale and siting of the proposed turbines any such plans would, without question, harm the character and appearance of the locality and setting of both Pinfold and Scarisbrick Park conservation areas to the detriment of the historic setting.”

The planning application is being considered by West Lancashire borough council.

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2013/10/17/scarisbrick-residents-raise-objections-to-wind-turbine-proposal/