Planners back wind power on farm despite gales of derision

Simon Moon wants to erect the 45m tall turbine with three rotor blades on land which is currently used for grazing cattle at West Thornber Farm, near Wigglesworth.

But the turbine, which would generate electricity for the farming operation, has been met by a barrage of opposition – including objections from two parish councils and the campaign group the Council for the Protection of Rural England.

The site of the proposed turbine is around 1.6km away from the boundary with the Forest of Bowland Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) and within an area classified as ‘Pasture with Wooded Gills and Woodland’ by Craven District Council.

The local authority has received 24 letters from people objecting to the proposal and a further letters from 25 supporters, who include the National Farmers’ Union.

Supporters insists that the turbine will not have a detrimental impact and say that it is “forward-thinking and environmentally-friendly.”

They argue that the turbine will enable the farm to reduce its carbon footprint.

But Halton West Parish Council, which strongly objects to the proposal, claims it “would have a negative impact on the residential amenity of neighbouring properties due to the close proximity of the turbine” and “the turbine would damage the landscape due to sweeping views of the application site.”

Ribblebanks Parish Council has branded the height of the turbine “overbearing” and complains that it would “dominate the landscape.”

It claims local residents would be affected by “noise and nuisance” from the turbine, “including shadow flicker problems” and that the turbine “would be harmful to local wildlife” and “would exceed the electricity needs of the farm.”

Other critics claim the wind turbine is “excessively large” and say they are concerned about the effect it would have on local residents, wildlife and the character of the landscape in the area.

Furthermore the Council for the Protection of Rural England claims the proposal would have a negative impact on the landscape and that local topography and vegetation are insufficient to effectively screen the turbine.

It says the turbine would be visible from the Yorkshire Dales National Park, Forest of Bowland Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and The River Ribble (Long Preston Deeps) Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and “would have a negative impact on recreational amenities within the area and how people enjoy the landscape.”

The Council for the Protection of Rural England claims the development will affect how people enjoy Public Rights of Way in the area, and that field sports will no longer be possible from the site.

Furthermore, the body claims that existing landscape features are “insufficient” to screen the proposal from the Public Rights of Way or from wider views.

It says the development may harm protected species and could disrupt local water supply.

However, members of Craven Council’s Planning Committee will be advised to grant planning permission subject to conditions when it meets today.

A report due to be considered by the committee concludes the proposal is linked to an established farmstead and business and meets planning policy requirements.

It says: “The details of the siting and design of the wind turbine are satisfactory and, having regard to the wider environmental benefits of the installation towards renewable energy, it is not considered that the development would significantly harm the character and appearance of the local landscape or the general amenities of the locality.”

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