March 28, 2014
England

High Court decision over wind turbine near Tamworth

By Helen Machin | The Tamworth Herald | Posted: March 27, 2014 | www.tamworthherald.co.uk

Villagers were given renewed reason to celebrate this week as a judge refused to allow an appeal by a company who wanted to erect a 79-metre wind turbine dominating the skyline of several villages near Tamworth.

Chase Milton Energy Ltd were appealing against a Secretary of State’s decision to throw out plans for the turbine on land at Elms Farm, Appleby Parva – where it would have been clearly visible from numerous surrounding villages.

Seven parish councils – Appleby Magna, Austrey, Newton Regis, Seckington, No Mans Heath, Twycross and Polesworth – objected to the plans.

Local MPs Christopher Pincher (Tamworth), Dan Byles (North Warwickshire) and David Tredinnick (Hinckley and Bosworth) had also joined local residents in calling for the scheme to be thrown out.

Hinckley and Bosworth planning officers refused the scheme, but the applicants appealed against the decision and when a planning inspector threw out the appeal, they went court to try and get the inspector’s decision quashed.

But Deputy High Court Judge Timothy Straker QC dismissed their claim saying that ‘the law is sufficiently clear given its statutory base on previous decisions’ and stating they had ‘no reasonable prospect of success’ and there was ‘no other reason compelling an appeal.’

Chase Milton Energy Ltd were also ordered to pay costs.

Richard Meredith, spokesman for the residents’ action group ‘InSpires’, said: “As a group we all feel absolutely vindicated in our stance against a turbine in this prominent spot. We are delighted with the High Court decision.”

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2014/03/28/high-court-decision-over-wind-turbine-near-tamworth/