A CONTROVERSIAL proposal to erect a 77m tall wind turbine on farmland alongside the M62 near Warrington has been deferred for a third time by borough planning chiefs.
Members of the borough council’s planning committee decided they wanted more information before making a decision on the scheme on Green Belt land at Causeway Bridges Farm, Alder Lane, Burtonwood.
Ten nearby residents oppose the scheme, as does Burtonwood Parish Council and the Joint Radio Company, which assesses the potential for interference to radio systems operated by energy industry companies.
But Liverpool John Lennon Airport, which originally opposed the scheme because of fears the turbine could interfere with airport radar, have withdrawn their objection.
Burtonwood Parish Council has also objected to the scheme on the grounds of loss of residential amenity, Green Belt issues, noise, possible television and mobile phone interference and visual impact on the countryside.
Borough councillor Brian Axcell has queried whether the amount of electricity the turbine would generate – probably less than 100 kw, he believes – justified a 77m high structure in the Green Belt.
But planning officers are recommending the scheme be approved and say arguments based on low output tend not to convince planning inspectors, even in the green belt.
National planning guidance is that planners should consider the benefits of wind turbine proposals, irrespective of their efficiency or output.
They should not be refused merely because their output is small.
A CONTROVERSIAL proposal to erect a 77m tall wind turbine on farmland
alongside the M62 near Warrington has been deferred for a third time by
borough planning chiefs.
Wind turbine plan put off again
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Gary Skentelbery
Experienced journalist for more than 40 years. Managing Director of magazine publishing group with three in-house titles and on-line daily newspaper for Warrington. Experienced writer, photographer, PR consultant and media expert having written for local, regional and national newspapers. Specialties: PR, media, social networking, photographer, networking, advertising, sales, media crisis management. Chair of Warrington Healthwatch Director Warrington Chamber of Commerce Patron Tim Parry Johnathan Ball Foundation for Peace. Trustee Warrington Disability Partnership. Former Chairman of Warrington Town FC.
2 Comments
They should capture all the wind being spouted about this, add it to the money being spent on meetings and they could open the libraries up again and still have change left.
Using all the hot air being generated about this could make these turbines irrelevant! Do the WBC Planners ever maker a deciison? All we ever hear about is deferrment and indecision. Just been over to France and the countryside in a much larger Country has many of these wind turbines and I would suggest that they do not spoil their landscape. However, I did notice that they seem to be always working, generating power, whereas, in this Country I observe many of the wind turbines “turned off”. CXan we have a “policy decision” from our newly elected Council and then, at the very least, we will know what they intend to do?