Opponents of the building of the district's first wind farm have welcomed news that Vale Royal Borough Council has pledged money to fight it. At a meeting on June 12, executive group councillors agreed to a proposal to spend £60,000 to support their case to refuse planning for the wind farm at Aston Grange when it goes to a public inquiry. Tegni Cymru lodged an appeal against the council's decision to refuse them planning in August 2007. A public inquiry will be held to determine the future of the project on August 19, and will last for six days.

Zoning/Planning UK

A controversial wind farm on the Essex coast is set to be given the go-ahead despite vociferous objections from people living in the surrounding area. Npower Renewables has applied to build five 410-feet turbines and a substation on rural land at Earls Hall Farm near Clacton-on-Sea. ...Council officers say the project should be given permission unless there is evidence to show it will harm the local environment through issues including noise and visual impact.

Zoning/Planning UK

The Scottish Government has set a target to produce 31 per cent of electricity demand from renewable sources by 2011, and 50 per cent by 2020. Any proposal to construct, extend or operate an onshore wind farm in Scotland with a generation capacity in excess of 50 Megawatts (MW) requires the consent of Scottish Ministers under Section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989. The Scottish Government's Energy Consents Unit is currently processing 37 renewable project applications - 28 wind farms, eight hydro projects and one wave project.

Energy Policy General Zoning/Planning UK

City councillors voted last September to reject an application by Banks Developments for permission to put up a 60-metre 'monitoring mast' on green belt land at Hook Moor, near Micklefield. Durham-based Banks subsequently lodged an appeal against that decision with the Government's Planning Inspectorate. And today it emerged that the Inspectorate has allowed the appeal - despite expressing concerns that the mast could harm the "character and appearance of the rural landscape". The planning inspector dealing with the case ruled that the potential environmental benefits of the scheme "clearly outweighed" the impact it might have on the landscape.

Zoning/Planning UK

Plans for a wind farm at the headquarters of car maker Lotus have been thrown out by a committee. Green energy company Ecotricity had resubmitted proposals to build three 120m-high wind turbines at Lotus' Hethel headquarters near Wymondham. Despite the plans being recommended for approval by planning officers, councillors voted five to three in favour of refusing the controversial application.

Zoning/Planning UK

Controversial proposals are being drawn up to place a wind farm outside an historic South Lakeland village. The 80m height of the proposed wind turbines, nearing that of Big Ben, means they would also be seen from the neighbouring villages of Haverthwaite, Cark, Greenodd and Backbarrow and from as far away as Grange, Ulverston and Coniston. Opposition to the plans, which are expected to be submitted for planning approval next spring, is beginning to gain momentum, as news of the scheme filters through to residents. ..."This country has spent thousands removing pylons that scarred our landscape and putting the cables underground. "Why haven't we learned from that mistake?"

Impact on People Zoning/Planning UK

Some of the protesters who attended the meeting to oppose the new turbine Safety fears have been raised over plans to build a 400ft wind turbine next to a quiet residential area. Concerned residents packed a meeting yesterday to discuss the proposals to put the £2million turbine at Princes Soft Drinks factory in Weaverthorpe Road, Tong, Bradford. It has been hailed as a 21st century landmark for the city and a way of dramatically cutting carbon emissions from one of the district's major businesses. But organisers of the meeting, at Tong Conservative Club yesterday, claim residents could be put in danger if the turbine is allowed.

Impact on People Zoning/Planning UK

The British government opened a major new phase on Wednesday in its drive for renewable energy, calling for bids to build up to 25 gigawatts of offshore wind turbines, triple the amount already in the pipeline, by 2020. The announcement by the Crown Estate, which manages all property owned by the monarch including the seabed around Britain, was welcomed by British Wind Energy Association chairman Adam Bruce as "impressively bold." Under rounds one and two of offshore renewable power generation leasing program a total of eight gigawatts of wind turbines are under development.

Energy Policy Zoning/Planning UK

Anxious protestors attended an exhibition of a planned wind farm near Cumwhinton. The Newlands Windfarm exhibition - held in the village hall - was put on by Bolsterstone plc and featured designs for three turbines. The turbines could be up to 115ft tall and residents are concerned about the effect on the surroundings. Alison Stamper, who is organising an action group, has lived in the village for 30 years. If the turbines are given the go-ahead they will be a few hundred feet from her home.

Zoning/Planning UK

A controversial wind farm plan for Purbeck is seeing the number of turbines in the scheme slashed from the originally proposed six down to just three. This was revealed by the district council's planning officer Alan Davies at the monthly meeting of the planning board. He told councillors there was a considerable amount of work to be done before the scheme was brought before them with any recommendation from the planners. He added: "We have had a letter in the last few days from the applicants wishing to reduce the number of turbines down to three."

Zoning/Planning UK

It is a rare lunar spectacle whose significance dates back to ancient times, drawing visitors to the Isle of Lewis from across the world. But now the druids, pagans and witches who gather at the Callanish Stones fear the next time they visit their treasured view of the Moon could be ruined by a 53-turbine wind farm. ...Beinn Mhor Power plans to build turbines on the Eisgein Estate in Lewis, some of them on the Old Woman of the Moors. One would be built on a lump that looks like her knee, and others would be on the skyline. Archeologist Ian McHardy said the lunar phenomenon is mentioned in the Historic Scotland guidebook for the area. "I think it's an integral part of Callanish and should have been afforded higher protection. The wind turbines would be a significant part of the view."

Impact on People Impact on Landscape Zoning/Planning UK

A petition bearing the names of 500 residents opposed to plans to site a wind farm between Swinford and Walcote has been handed to Harborough District Council. Campaigners from the Stop the Swinford Wind Farm Action Group (SSWFAG), spent a number of weeks gathering the names and addresses of people opposed to the plans. They handed the petition to the planning department at the district council on the last official date of public consultation on the proposals. Renewable energy firm Nuon UK are seeking 11 wind turbines, each 125m tall.

Zoning/Planning UK

Hempnall Parish Council has recommended for refusal plans to build a seven turbine windfarm in the village. The unanimous decision was made at the parish council's meeting on Wednesday, on the grounds of visual intrusion, noise and cumulative effect. "We feel it would blight our beautiful countryside," said parish chairman Geoff Moulton. "We were also worried about the cumulative effect, when you look at the number of wind farm applications on the table at the moment."

Zoning/Planning UK

A community has been told that it is in line for a £375,000 windfall if a windfarm which developers want to site on its doorstep, gets the go-ahead. Bolsterstone Plc says it will submit a planning application in June to put up three wind turbines at Cumwhinton. If Carlisle City Council grants permission, a community fund would be set up - giving £15,000 a year for its 25-year lifespan.

Zoning/Planning UK

Parish councillors are calling on district planners to refuse a controversial application by green power company Enertrag UK to build a wind farm at Hempnall. The Diss-based firm is seeking consent to site seven 125m high turbines on land at Bussey's Loke, in the south Norfolk village near Norwich, to supply renewable energy for the National Grid. But the scheme has sparked fierce opposition from local residents who claim the development would create a huge visual impact on Hempnall and surrounding villages, and have set up campaign group Showt (Stop Hempnall's Onshore Wind Turbines).

Zoning/Planning UK

Despite more than 370 letters of objection and a refusal by the council's planning committee, a Scottish Government Reporter has upheld an appeal lodged by energy company Airtricity, and granted permission for 10 wind turbines. Scottish Borders Council's voted last July to reject the application - proposed on land located past Blawearie, above Whitslade - on the grounds that it would have an unacceptable impact on the landscape. Although this was a decision which backed a local campaign, it opposed planning officers' original recommendations and led to a public enquiry at Selkirk Rugby Club. But after studying all the submissions, the Reporter has finally ruled that the development can go ahead.

Zoning/Planning UK

The wind farm, proposed for the former Parham Airfield, near Framlingham, was granted planning permission more than two years ago - subject to conditions being met. However, earlier this year opponents of the scheme obtained a High Court judgement that conditions had not been fully met - because Suffolk Coastal District Council failed to consult over a proposed change in turbine design. The council consequently launched a new consultation over two alternative designs put forward by developer, Your Energy. A report to the development control on May 28 recommends that both designs be approved. The recommendation is partly based on assessments of potential environmental impact.

Zoning/Planning UK

A wind farm has been given the go-ahead despite a local campaign to keep the turbines out of an area of unspoilt countryside. Plans to build the £25 million development at Langhope Rig, an area of countryside three miles west of Ashkirk in the Borders, were cleared following a five-day public inquiry. There were about 350 letters against siting the wind farm in an area described as a tranquil spot popular with walkers and tourists. ...But a Scottish Government planning reporter reversed the decision following an appeal by Airtricity. Carolyn Riddell-Carre, the environment and planning representative on Scottish Borders Council, said rural areas were expected to take too many wind farms. "It's like fly-tipping," she said. "People think of open space and think they'll heap things on it, whether it's rubbish or a bunch of turbines."

Energy Policy Zoning/Planning UK

Government promises to speed up planning inquiries to ensure that wind farms play a valuable role in providing clean energy are not being fulfilled, with many schemes waiting up to five years for the go-ahead. Ministers have pledged to remove or reduce barriers faced by companies that want to build sustainable power projects, but this is proving difficult. ...The fragility of the wind power business was highlighted recently when Shell pulled out of the world's biggest offshore wind farm - the London Array, off Kent - because of spiralling costs associated with planning delays. Britain is already struggling to meet the EU target of producing 20% of the country's total energy from renewables by 2020. That target has been reduced to 15% but even that is a major leap given the current level of 2% - a figure that has not risen for several years.

Energy Policy Zoning/Planning UK

The Scottish Government has overturned a council decision to reject a wind farm development in the Borders. Members of Scottish Borders Council's, planning committee had refused a planning application by Airtricity for 10 turbines near Ashkirk. An appeal was lodged against the decision prompting a public inquiry into the Langhope Rig scheme. A Scottish Government Reporter has upheld that appeal which paves the way for the development to go ahead.

Zoning/Planning UK