April 28, 2015
England

Developers withdraw 86m wind turbine bid in Bodham, near Holt

Eastern Daily Press | 28 April 2015 | www.edp24.co.uk

Developers behind a wind turbine proposal in north Norfolk have withdrawn a bid to build an 86m structure.

An application for a smaller 66m turbine was turned down by planners at North Norfolk District Council last month, and developers are considering an appeal.

But a planning inquiry for the larger turbine, which had been subject to a long-running legal battle going as far as the High Court, had been planned for July.

However David Mack, of green-energy developers Genatec, said the company had decided to focus on the smaller turbine, which it believed had more chance of success, and had cancelled the inquiry.

He said: “The site has a great wind speed which means it is viable.

“We are going to keep going with it as it is energy which will be used locally.”

He added: “We are still very confident it will go through.”

Mr Mack added the smaller turbine would have less of an impact, and claimed improvements in technology meant it would power almost as many homes as the larger development, which it was hoped would power 600 homes.

The proposal of a turbine at the rural farm has sparked a campaign of objection from nearby homeowners, who said it would have a negative impact on the countryside and Area Of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

An action group, No To That Turbine, claimed the turbine would slash property values and damage the tourist industry.

Mr Mack said the company had taken account of people’s views and had designed the site around that.

He added: “One of the concerns of the local people was about noise. This one is less noisy than the larger one.”

A spokesman for the council said the withdrawal positive, as it meant a costly inquiry could be avoided.

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2015/04/28/developers-withdraw-86m-wind-turbine-bid-in-bodham-near-holt/