Campaigners' call to energy firms

The decision, by planning inspector Jenny Burden, allows Renewable Energy Systems to build a nine-turbine wind farm and sub-station on land west of Ivy House in Rectory Road –bringing to 11 the number of wind farms already operational or under construction in the East Riding.

The Roos scheme is the latest in a series to be approved by Government inspectors after being rejected by East Riding Council, which has already passed its renewable energy targets for the next 11 years.

Completion of all the projects will see 95 turbines dotted around the countryside that campaigners have fought to protect.

Applications for a further five wind farms with a combined total of 44 turbines have already been submitted to the council.

The chairman of opposition pressure group South Holderness Opposes Wind Farms (SHOWT), Cherie Blenkin, said the group was not against wind farms in principle but was concerned they were being installed in the wrong locations, and said the cumulative impact of so many turbines was spoiling the area.

She said she hoped the new Government would be more sensitive to concerns about the visual impact of such schemes.

Mrs Blenkin said: "We are now the renewable energy capital of the UK.

"This decision is nothing I didn't expect; the previous Government has overruled all democracy in the planning process. This particular wind farm was thrown out three times and has now been imposed by the previous Government.

"It is against the landscape character of Holderness and within the buffer zone of the bridle path, but all these concerns have been ignored.

"We hope the new Government will take democracy more seriously and listen to the public."

Mrs Blenkin said wind farm operators should balance the impact of their schemes with investment in the area's infrastructure.

In particular, she would like to see funding for a new sports stadium in East Hull and suggested a renewable energy visitor centre should be built in Holderness to boost tourism.

She said: "I am now calling on the renewable energy companies to invest in the infrastructure we need to turn this negative into a positive. That should be the way forward."

A councillor for the Mid-Holderness ward at East Riding Council, Peter Turner, described the decision as another slap in the face for local democracy.

"The accumulative effect of these wind farms in this area is totally unacceptable," he said. "East Riding Council and parish councils have done everything they can to prevent this but they have been ridden over roughshod.

"Council officers have also opposed these schemes but they are not interested."

In her decision letter, Ms Burden conceded the Roos scheme would adversely affect the appearance of the area, but said this was outweighed by the need to meet renewable energy targets.

She said: "It is clear that the proposed wind farm would have a number and range of impacts on the landscape and on visual amenity in particular.

"Those impacts would be perceived as adverse by many who enjoy the present character and appearance of the area.

"However, neither separately nor cumulatively do they outweigh the benefits that would be derived from the contribution that the scheme would make towards meeting national and regional targets for the provision of renewable energy."