May 19, 2014
England

Pair of turbines go-ahead after initial refusal

Written by ROB SMYTH | Burton Mail | 18 May 2014 | www.burtonmail.co.uk

Planning permission has been granted to proposals for two separate wind turbines – despite both plans initially being refused.

The Planning Inspectorate has overruled the decision of planning chiefs at East Staffordshire Borough Council for a 50kW turbine at Dunsfield Farm, Thornley Lane, Newborough, and a Northern Power turbine at Hart’s Farm, in Abbots Bromley.

The main reason behind the initial refusal of both plans was based around the impact they would have on the character and appearance of the landscape.

A spokesman for the Planning Inspectorate, in terms of the Dunsfield Farm application, said: “The proposal would represent a sustainable form of development.

“It would use a natural resource to produce pollution-free electricity and would make a small but positive contribution to renewable energy supply.

“To the extent that this would result in some degree of negative landscape change, I consider this would be outweighed by the benefits of a generation of renewable energy.”

The development of the turbine will now have to begin in the next three years. If it fails to produce electricity for six months then it would have to be removed and work undertaken to protect any species impacted by the planned work.

In terms of the Hart’s Farm application, a spokesman said: “The overall conclusion is that, subject to the imposition of appropriate conditions, the proposal is acceptable and planning permission should be granted.

“It was also concluded that, while the proposal would introduce a modern vertical component and effect some scenic change, its impact would not be such as to significantly detract from the landscape’s overall character.

A variety of conditions have been imposed similar to the Dunsfield Farm turbine.


URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2014/05/19/pair-of-turbines-go-ahead-after-initial-refusal/