February 20, 2014
England

Campaigners join forces to fight turbine plans near Stone

By Kerry Ashdown | Staffordshire Newsletter | February 20, 2014 | www.staffordshirenewsletter.co.uk

Two communities fighting plans for wind turbines in their neighbourhoods are joining forces.

Stone residents are once again battling a proposal for two 45m high turbines on land at Pingle Lane, near Aston Lodge.

And this week Stone councillor Philip Jones said they would be working together with rural residents campaigning against a 77m high turbine being installed at Cotwalton Drumble, near the historic Moddershall Valley.

Both plans have been submitted by East Midlands-based energy firm Hallmark Power.

The Pingle Lane application was refused by Stafford Borough Council in October 2013. But Hallmark Power has appealed against the decision.

Councillor Jones said: “I am not surprised that the applicant has appealed against the refusal of his application for two very large wind turbines at Aston Park Farm.

“Together with town councillor Tom Jackson I have reconvened the Aston Lodge Action Group to fight this appeal with the same determination that we all brought to defeat the original application.

“The group will be sending to the Planning Inspectorate a complete memorandum of their objections, together with the visual impressions of the turbines which had a powerful effect on the members of the planning committee.”

Stone MP Bill Cash has also told the Planning Inspectorate he will continue to oppose the plan.

He said: “The proposed turbines will be a blight on the local area and well within the views of a local housing estate.

“There will be a negative impact on the values of surrounding properties and it strongly affects residential amenity and will have a major impact on the surrounding landscape and townscape character centred on an attractive town surrounded by countryside.”

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2014/02/20/campaigners-join-forces-to-fight-turbine-plans-near-stone/