Wind turbine worries 

Huge wind turbines look set to be given planning permission near to a village, and there are fears more could soon be built at another nearby location in the future.

Waste Recycling Group Ltd (WRG) will have their case to build the two 87-metre high masts at Gallymoor heard today, Thursday 7 July, during a planning meeting at County Hall.

Yet the application has come under fire from Holme-on-Spalding Moor Parish Council, as well as neighbouring Everingham and Harswell Parish Council.

At the same meeting, a second application is to be heard to build a wind-monitoring mast on farmland at Seaton Ross. Residents fear the proposal is a precursor to possible wind turbines on the site at St Helen’s Farm south of the village.

Seven letters of objection have listed local concerns included the visual impact from far-reaching views.

At Holme-on-Spalding Moor, the local council said the turbines would have a visual impact for those living in the village, as well as wildlife, while they are already surrounded by several industrial processing plants.

They also questioned why East Riding Council should grant planning permission saying their targets for wind energy have already been met.

Everingham and Harswell said they generally opposed the scheme, but felt it would succeed regardless, while Shiptonthorpe Parish Council considered the application a “done deal” and so offered no comment at all.

Three letters of objections were submitted by residents who highlighted shadow flicker, noise, the visual intrusion and wildlife impact amongst their concerns.

But despite the opposition, the planning officer at East Riding Council has recommended planning permission be approved once a specific objection could be resolved.

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English Heritage claim the application is inadequate in its coverage and assessment of the visual impact from and to All Saints’ Church at the top of Church Hill, although the officer says the concern still not strong enough to have the plans rejected outright.

Comments from the planning officer in the 54-page report reads: “It is considered that the proposals would not significantly diminish the intrinsic character of the local landscape beyond the immediate vicinity of the application site, and would not have any significant harmful effects on the residential amenities of the closest properties to the area.

“On this basis, the landscape and visual impact of the proposed development is considered to be acceptable.

“The proposals would not have any significant effects on heritage assets in the vicinity of the site, including Church Hill, which is the prominent local landscape feature.”

In May last year residents of Holme-on-Spalding Moor suspected wind turbines were to be proposed at Gallymoor after planning permission was given to temporarily erect a wind-monitoring mast on the site.

Weeks later, WRG Ltd announced they would propose the wind turbine scheme.

The two generators are likely to be built on the north side of the site, close to the A614, with the nearest dwelling 340 metres away.

WRG Ltd estimate they will create 4,730,400 kWh/year of renewable energy, enough to power 1,006 homes a year.

Meanwhile, further applications will be discussed at today’s meeting, including one to modify drainage design at Gallymoor in order to build the platforms for the turbines. Another is to develop a waste recycling facility, comprising of an in-vessel composting plant to produce soil improver.