May 20, 2015
England

Campaign group steps up fight against fresh Vale of Belvoir windfarm proposal

Grantham Journal | 19 May 2015 | www.granthamjournal.co.uk

Campaigners are fighting fresh plans to build a six-turbine wind farm in the Vale of Belvoir.

Belvoir Locals Oppose Turbines (BLOT) say the 361-feet-tall turbines would have a ‘severe impact’ upon heritage assets and would cause ‘unacceptable harm’ to the Vale’s historic landscape. They also fear the granting of planning permission would set a precedent for more turbines to follow.

Applicant Whirlwind Renewables wants to develop the wind farm in an area to the south of Thackson’s Well Farm, to the west of Sewstern Lane, near Allington, and to the north east of Bottesford.

This latest application comes after planning inspectors threw out similar plans for wind farms at nearby Palmers Hollow, in Bottesford, in 2010 and at Thackson’s Well, near Bottesford, in 2008.

BLOT have sent out an urgent email to parishes across the Vale of Belvoir as well as district/borough councils and local MPs warning them of the proposals and the group is urging individuals to submit their written objections to South Kesteven District Council (reference: S15/0862) by June 5.

The group has also been spreading the news via its website www.blot-online.org

Whirlwind Renewables says its Sewstern Lane scheme ‘seeks to address concerns raised by the local community and the planning process for the orginal Thackson’s Well proposal’.

It claims the wind farm would generate about 36 million units of electricity per year, enough to meet the power needs of about 9,500 homes, contributing towards national renewable energy targets.

It says the operation of the proposed wind farm would have ‘impacts of slight magnitude and minor significance’ on the heritage significance of sites including Bottesford’s Grade I listed Church of St Mary and would have ‘impacts of negligible magnitude and significance’ on six assets including Grade I listed Belvoir Castle and the Easthorpe conservation area.

The energy firm, which held public exhibitions on its plans in November, has also said if planning permission was granted and the project became operational, a fund of about £90,000 per year would be made available to the local community for the lifetime of the development (about 25-30 years).

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2015/05/20/campaign-group-steps-up-fight-against-fresh-vale-of-belvoir-windfarm-proposal/