November 12, 2015
England

Controversial windfarm plans are withdrawn

Melton Times | 12 November 2015 | www.meltontimes.co.uk

A council’s decision to withdraw a controversial planning application for a wind farm on the Melton airfield site has been cautiously welcomed by campaigners.

In May last year Wind Ventures formally submitted an application to Melton Council to build two 426ft high turbines on one side of the B6047 Dalby Road and two more on the other side.

But now the council has withdrawn their application after receiving no reply to several emails and letters which it sent to the applicants.

In one of the letters, Jennifer Wallis, the council’s applications and advice manager, wrote: “I’ve tried contacting yourselves on numerous occasions with regards to how you wish to proceed with the application. This is because we have insufficient information on which to determine the application and due to recent changes in government guidance.

“I wrote to yourselves on September 10, August 26 and 5 and July 23 and 9 to establish how you wish me to proceed with the application.

“In my last email to yourselves I stated if I did not hear from you by September 28 I will assume that you do not wish to proceed and will duly withdraw the application. As this date has passed and I’ve not heard from you we’re treating this application as withdrawn.”

The Melton Times has made repeated attempts to contact the applicants but we received no response at the time of going to press.

Reacting to the news of the application’s withdrawal, Russell Pride, chairman of the Support Melton Against Rural Turbines (SMART) campaign group, said: “We’re concerned the decision may not be a final statement on this proposal and will remain vigilant until further notice and will be ready to react against any unexpected change in the wind.

“The level of opposition from the local community to the inappropriately sited and sized development of the four massive 130m high wind turbines has been substantial and sustained over the last two years.

“SMART and the local community, particularly those who live in Melton and Great Dalby, welcome any development that means the local landscape and nationally and locally important heritage will not be irreparably damaged.

“We at SMART continue to support more useful answers to the energy demands of our country. A change in government thinking, reflecting the concerns of the local communities, and the withdrawal of subsidies may also have prompted many inappropriate wind turbine proposals to have been withdrawn in the last few months.”

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2015/11/12/controversial-windfarm-plans-are-withdrawn/