July 30, 2014
England

Wind turbine would hit Dovedale skyline, says National Trust

By Zena Hawley | Ashbourne News Telegraph | July 30, 2014 | www.ashbournenewstelegraph.co.uk

The Dovedale and Ilam skyline would be visually hit by a new wind turbine planned for the area, says the National Trust.

They believe the plan for a 24.6 metre turbine in Aldwark would have a huge impact on the area.

Slipper Low Farm, which has applied to the Peak District National Park Authority, wants to be able to supply renewable electricity to the dairy farm.

It is one of several wind turbine applications which are either pending or have been given the go-ahead, such as those overlooking Carsington Water.

The deadline for responses to the consultation is today but communication on the subject can still be made up until the date of the planning decision, which is August 15.

The National Trust has already written to the authority to register its objection.

National Trust planning adviser Kim Miller said: “The principle of providing renewable energy to support a local farming enterprise is accepted and indeed applauded.

“But the application has far reaching landscape and visual impacts due to the location of the turbine high on the limestone plateau.

“These impacts will extend across a substantial area within the National Park and also outside of the park boundary to the south where the whole turbine may be visible across a large area.

“The National Trust owns a number of properties including Thorpe Pasture (common land), Moor Barn Farm and Dovedale, which has been designated a National Nature Reserve in this area. The existing four large turbines at Carsington Pasture are a striking feature in the landscape which breaks the ridgeline of the limestone plateau.

“The existing smaller turbines at Hilltop Farm are also visible from certain locations but are less prominent.

“The Slipper Low turbine would create a notable cumulative impact with the existing Carsington scheme.”

A new scheme next to Carsington Pasture has recently received consent and a planning application has also been submitted for a five turbine scheme stretching north of Carsington Pasture towards the National Park boundary.

Ms Miller added: “The impact of these schemes would, in combination, fundamentally alter the character of the landscape, which is why the trust is objecting to this application.”

A concerned resident, who did not wish to be identified, said that Dovedale and the surrounding area was too important to allow the wind turbines to dominate the views.

She said: “People are too scared to object to these schemes and are being put under pressure to accept them. But I believe that these wind turbines are not needed and that people should object this latest one.”

Landscape architect Garrie Tiedeman has also written to the authority to object but Brassington Parish Council has no objections.

A mixture of support and objections has already been received by the authority from other residents and farmers in the area.


URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2014/07/30/wind-turbine-would-hit-dovedale-skyline-says-national-trust/