May 20, 2015
Wales

Planners reject application for ‘dominating’ turbine

Cambrian News | 20 May 2015 | www.cambrian-news.co.uk

An application for a “dominating and incongruous” large-scale wind turbine in south Ceredigion has been rejected by planners.

Plans for the 74-metre high turbine near Llanwnnen was the subject of vehement opposition from surrounding villages – despite a mooted com-munity benefit scheme.

Planning officers, who recommended the development for refusal, said the large turbine would have a “significant impact” on the landscape of the Teifi Valley.

Details of the turbine, which was set to be sited at Ffrwd farm, estimated annual energy production of 1,706,010 kWh per year, generating 42,650,250 kWh of electricity.

Despite community benefit details projected to be an average of £75,000 per year, or £1.5m over 20 years, the turbine plans received dozens of letters of objection, including those from local councils in Llanwenog and Llanwnnen.

Protesters argued the large-scale turbine would “cause significant visual harm”, “set a dangerous precedent” and have “a negative impact on tourism”.

A report into the development said “there has been much consternation on behalf of the community that the turbine proposal is not community led” with little known about the community benefits and the plan itself.

“Although this is a finely balanced application, the positive impacts of a community benefit do not outweigh the considerable localised visual impacts, particularly on the village of Cribyn which is considered to be the deciding factor in this application,” a report put before members said.

Planning officer Kate Attrill told members that the community benefits of the turbine “were not given significant weight” by the council because it was not clear as to how much the project was being led or driven by the com-munity.

She said that the turbine would be a “dominating and incongruous industrial detail ” on the Teifi valley landscape and would “set a precedent” for development in the area.


URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2015/05/20/planners-reject-application-for-dominating-turbine/