Protest group to oppose Lincolnshire wind farm plans 

Plans to build ten turbines each taller than Big Ben on the former RAF Fulbeck airfield have been revealed.

Towers soaring to heights of 360ft will be working for 25 years if Energiekontor UK Ltd is given permission by South Kesteven District Council.

The site is just one-and-a-half miles away from the Temple Hill wind farm proposed by RWE Innogy – which was rejected by planners in March 2015.

Energiekontor has been in talks with residents since 2013, and the opposition group VETO was set up to campaign against the plans to build on the former airfield. Now they have teamed up with reVOLT, a group which opposed the Temple Hill site.

ReVOLT spokesperson Paul Miley said: “Our campaign was all about appropriate renewables – this community already has an operational solar farm, a second under construction and Fulbeck Airfield is currently used to collect straw for the renewable energy plant at Sleaford.

“By disregarding previous local decisions and ignoring the overwhelming majority of local residents and businesses opposed to such developments, this smacks of opportunism.

“Is this an arrogant industry trying to challenge new national planning guidance, or a final scramble before the wind farm subsidy pot runs out?”

Residents had mixed feeling towards the plans to build the turbines.

Damon Willgoose, from Leadenham, said he was happy for the turbines to be built.

“Wind turbines are okay,” he said. “I used to live in Fulbeck but the airfield isn’t used for anything so it might as well get put to use.

“From Leadenham you can see one site but they’re not really an eyesore, they’re just in the distance. I’m quite happy for them to be put there.”

But Ian Neil, who co-owns the Brand House at Stragglethorpe, felt he could not support the site because the turbines were too tall.

He said: “It depends on the height. I’m not absolutely against wind turbines. I’m against huge ones that will dwarf the whole landscape. I will be writing in rejecting to the proposals. It really is quite a major undertaking for the area. The landscape will change dramatically for people in the cliff villages.”

An Energiekontour spokesperson said: “We think Fulbeck Airfield is a great site for a wind farm. It is a large brownfield site that is free from environmental designations and located well away from houses.

“We have encountered a wide range of support for the project and look forward to building on that during the planning process.

“The submission of the planning application follows a very lengthy process of environmental assessment, design and consultation, during which the proposals have been refined to deliver a project that we think ticks all the right boxes in terms of renewable energy production, local benefits and acceptability of environmental effects.

“The wind farm would deliver an annual community fund of up to £125,000 a year for the operational life of the wind farm, meaning up to £3,125,000 could be available for community projects and initiatives in the area over the next 25 years.”

To submit your views visit the planning portal on the South Kesteven District Council website and search for reference S15/1764.