December 11, 2015
England

Seven year battle to end plans for wind farm near Selby ends

By Victoria Finan | The Yorkshire Post | 11 December 2015 | www.yorkshirepost.co.uk

Anti-wind farm campaigners in North Yorkshire celebrated on Wednesday after they won a seven-year battle to stop 14 turbines being built on rural land.

The proposed Wood Lane wind farm was due to be constructed near the villages of Birkin, Hillam and West Haddlesey, near Selby.

But Selby District Council said on Wednesday that the developer, Germany-based Prowind, had failed to respond to a letter asking them for updates to an environmental review within an allocated seven-day period. Their failure to respond meant the council disposed of their application.

More than 1,000 people made formal objections to the council when the plans were first unveiled by Prowind in 2008.

And a team of campaigners from the affected villages have spent seven years ensuring the turbines would never be built. They said that the noise impact and spoilt landscape would reduce the price of homes in the area, as well as changing the fabric of the villages’ heritage.

Campaigner at Stop Wood Lane Wind Farm, Howard Ferguson, said: “Right from the outset, the plans were outrageous. I’d already reached the conclusion that the farm couldn’t happen because it just wasn’t reasonable.

“This is superb news, a well-deserved reward for all those who have supported this campaign.”

Selby and Ainsty MP Nigel Adams said: “I am absolutely delighted. The people living in areas around the proposed wind farms will be breathing a sigh of relief.

“The application has dragged on for many years and I am pleased to have played my part in Parliament in ensuring onshore wind farms receive no part of taxpayers’ money.”

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2015/12/11/seven-year-battle-to-end-plans-for-wind-farm-near-selby-ends/