October 3, 2016
England

‘Glamping’ campsite owner vows to continue fight against wind turbine

By Keith Rossiter | Plymouth Herald | October 02, 2016 | www.plymouthherald.co.uk

A “glamping” operator who has spent thousands of pounds fighting to stop a wind turbine is refusing to give up – even though the device has already been delivered to the site.

Julia Martin lost her battle in the High Court to prevent her neighbours from having the turbine on their land in the West Devon countryside, between Dartmoor and Bodmin Moor.

But she is now hoping to take the case to the Appeal Court.

The application for a turbine at Buckwell Farm, near Lifton, was turned down by West Devon Borough Council planners two years ago.

Applicant Andrew Heyward appealed and a government planning inspector overturned the council’s decision.

Mrs Martin lives at nearby Borough Farm with her three children and runs a camping business called Devon Yurt.

She claims the 35-metre turbine will be a blot on the landscape and harm the setting of a Bronze Age settlement, two listed buildings and Brentor Church on Dartmoor.

The site is about three miles from the nearest point of Dartmoor National Park, and the national park authority also objected to the development.

Planning inspector Alwyn Nixon said he did not believe the turbine would put off guests staying in Mrs Martin’s yurts.

Mrs Martin had argued in her High Court challenge last year that the planning inspector failed to give proper and adequate reasons on whether he had sufficient information about the impact the turbine would have on the monument and listed buildings.

She also claimed that he had failed to take into account government policy in his consideration of whether he had sufficient information about the impact the turbine would have on nearby heritage.

This includes Castle Park Camp, a late Bronze Age or early Iron Age ramparted enclosure; and two Grade II-listed buildings, the Round House, and Downhouse.

Mrs Martin told the WMN that she had spent thousands on her challenge already, though she would not give a precise figure.

“The wind turbine companies have been hitting this area because it is high ground between Dartmoor and Bodmin Moor,” she said.

She said three later wind turbine applications within a few miles had been turned down by planning inspectors since Beckwell Farm was approved.

She said components of the turbine had been delivered to Buckwell Farm last week but it had not yet been constructed.

The WMN has been unable to contact Beckwell Farm.

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2016/10/03/glamping-campsite-owner-vows-to-continue-fight-against-wind-turbine/