Brian Dooks
PLANNERS opposing eight 300ft wind turbines on a site only 50ft from an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty were accused yesterday of refusing to accept their obligation to contribute to Government targets for providing renewable energy.
Npower Renewables' barrister David Hardy made the claim at the start of a public inquiry into Harrogate Council's refusal of permission for a wind farm on an 197-acre site at Knabs Ridge, 708ft above sea level, three miles west of Harrogate.
The site is only the width of the A59 outside the Nidderdale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, but Mr Hardy said that was no reason to oppose the project, which would generate 10.4 megawatts of electricity – enough to power 7,000 homes.
A Government study of renewable energy targets for Yorkshire and the Humber had set 674MW as a target to achieve by 2010. North Yorkshire's target was 194MW by 2010 of which 80 per cent was expected to come from onshore wind.
Mr Hardy said: "The current installed capacity of on-shore wind is 1.2MW at Chelker Reservoir. There is little short of five years left during which to bridge what is a yawning gap."
He told the inquiry in the Harrogate Council chamber that the authority's response to the pressing requirement for renewable energy lacked any demonstrable sense of purpose.
"This is a local planning authority which has belatedly recognised that it should be responding positively to the call from central government for generation but its elected members appear unable or unwilling to grant permission for development which would deliver it."
Mr Hardy told the inquiry inspector, Graham Self, that the council was part of a study of renewable energy commissioned in April, but its planning officer Neville Watson, deputy team leader of the section dealing with major developments, had said it might find there were no suitable sites for wind farms in Harrogate District.
"Even at this stage, Harrogate Council seems to countenance a scenario in which it might somehow exempt itself from on-shore wind targets on the basis that there are no obvious sites and transfer the responsibility of delivering to someone else.
"Delivery of energy from renewable sources is a policy imperative and not an optional extra. The whole point about the targets is that each administrative area is expected to do its bit." Renewable generation was set to grow to 20 per cent of the total electricity figure within 15 years, he added.
Npower's planning witness, David Stewart, said any windfarm would have an impact on its surrounding landscape but the area in this case was not important enough justify refusing a windfarm development.
But Mr Watson said the council's landscape witness believed the windfarm would damage the landscape. "I am also of the opinion that the cumulative effect of this development in close proximity to the Menwith Hill military installation would further industrialise the area."
The inquiry continues.
Comment: Page 10.
