Fears grow over plans for wind turbine near Derbyshire beauty spot 

Concerns are growing that a proposed wind turbine could spoil the skyline views in the Dovedale and Ilam areas.

The latest planning application is for a 24.6-metre-high wind turbine at Slipper Low Farm in Aldwark, which would be used to supply electricity to the dairy farm.

It is one of several wind turbine applications in the area which are either pending, or have been given the go-ahead, such as those near Carsington Water.

The National Trust has already written to the authority to register its objection on the grounds that the application does not include an assessment of impacts on views from this location, particularly in the Gag Lane area.

Kim Miller, National Trust planning adviser, said: “The principle of providing renewable energy to support a local farming enterprise is accepted and indeed applauded.

“But the application has far-reaching landscape and visual impacts due to the location of the turbine high on the limestone plateau.”

“These impacts will extend across a substantial area within the National Park and also outside of the Park boundary to the south where the whole turbine may be visible across a large area.”

She said the National Trust owned a number of properties including Thorpe Pasture, Moor Barn farm and Dovedale, which has been designated a National Nature Reserve, in the area.

Ms Miller said: “The existing four large turbines at Carsington Pasture are a striking feature in the landscape which breaks the ridgeline of the limestone plateau.

“The existing smaller turbines at Hilltop Farm are also visible from certain locations but are less prominent.

“Owing to the proposed high location on the ridge, there is certainly potential that the turbine would break the ridgeline and create a notable cumulative impact with the existing Carsington scheme. However, since no visualisations have been prepared to the south west it is not possible to validate this assessment.”

The National Trust has said it would look again at the plan if more views were provided.

A new scheme, adjacent to Carsington Pasture, recently received consent and a planning application has also been submitted for a five turbine-scheme stretching north of Carsington Pasture towards the park boundary.

A concerned resident, who did not wish to be identified, said that Dovedale and the surrounding area was too important to allow the wind turbines to dominate the views.

She said: “People are too scared to object to these schemes and are being put under pressure to accept them. But I believe that these wind turbines are not needed and that people should object this latest one.”

Landscape architect Garrie Tiedeman has also written to the authority to object but Brassington Parish Council has no objections.

A mixture of support and objections has already been received by the authority from other residents and farmers in the area.

The deadline for responses to the consultation, organised by the Peak District National Park Authority, has passed but comments can still be made up to the date of the planning meeting, which is currently for August 15.