September 23, 2015
England

REG fumes over Clark refusal

reNEWS | 23/09/2015 | renews.biz

Communities Secretary Greg Clark’s decision to refuse a four-turbine wind farm extension in Cambridgeshire is “spectacularly illogical”, according to developer REG Windpower.

Clark went against the Planning Inspectorate’s advice by refusing REG’s 8MW extension to its French Farm site, which was called in by DCLG after being given the green light by Peterborough City Council.

DCLG’s decision letter said Clark had attached “considerable weight” to the significant adverse effect that the proposal would have on the landscape as well as to neighbouring residential properties.

A spokesman for REG said: “This is a spectacularly illogical decision even when judged against the low standards we’ve all seen recently.

“Not only was the project recommended for approval, it was given the green light by Peterborough City Council’s planning committee and this view was upheld by the planning inspector.”

REG said the scheme enjoyed significant local backing, with polling revealing two-thirds of local people were in favour of installing turbines on the site.

“This project was also an extension to a two-turbine scheme on adjacent land that we are currently building, so it is very hard to find a rational, planning-based justification for this decision,” added the spokesman.

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2015/09/23/reg-fumes-over-clark-refusal/