January 21, 2014
England

Protesters opposing wind turbines at North Thoresby vow to ‘do what it takes’ at appeal

By Grimsby Telegraph | Posted: January 21, 2014 | www.grimsbytelegraph.co.uk

Campaigners aiming to halt the construction of onshore wind turbines will attend an appeal today.

A planning inspector will begin a six-day hearing into an appeal to erect three turbines at North Thoresby, near Louth canal.

Partnerships For Renewables has appealed against a decision by East Lindsey District Council planners to refuse an application for the three turbines, each about 110-metres high.

Councillors turned down the application in April last year.

The firm has doubled its offer to pay £37,500 each year into a Community Benefit Fund to be used for initiatives in the parish.

But member of the Marsh Windfarm Action Group (MWAG), Jill Lingard, claimed: “It is a bribe. We are going to stop the industrialisation of our countryside.

“We have big open skies and will do what it takes to protect our traditional landscape.”

Spokesman for MWAG, Melvin Grosvenor, will address the planning inspector at the hearing, which starts at 10am at Tedder Hall. A spokesman for Partnerships For Renewables said his firm was looking forward to the appeal hearing.

He said if the appeal is upheld and the turbines built, the site could generate up to 16.4 gigawatt hours (GWh) of green electricity every year.

That is the equivalent energy to power about 3,890 homes.

The proposed turbines could also displace up to 7,062 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions per year.

Jerry Sturman, regional manager at PFR, said: “While we were very disappointed with the decision of East Lindsey District Council to refuse our planning application, we have been working very hard on our appeal case and we are confident that this project is both technically and environmentally sound, as identified by the lack of objections from statutory consultees.

He added: “We have also been very encouraged by the high level of support we have received from the local community, particularly those who wrote to the Planning Inspectorate in support of the project, many of whom live in close proximity to the site.”

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2014/01/21/protesters-opposing-wind-turbines-at-north-thoresby-vow-to-do-what-it-takes-at-appeal/