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Wind farm opponents claim ‘historic victory’
Credit: Berwick Advertiser | 14 April 2015 | www.berwick-advertiser.co.uk ~~
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Wind farm developers have decided not to appeal against the refusal of their plans for a nine-turbine scheme near Belford.
EnergieKontor will not contest the unanimous rejection of its Belford Burn proposal by Northumberland County Council’s planning and environment committee last October.
The six month deadline for its appeal to be lodged with the Planning Inspectorate passed on April 8.
Michael Briggs, EnergieKontor’s project manager for Belford Burn, in an email to Northumberland County Council and the Middleton Burn Action Group (MBAG), said: ““I can confirm that we have decided to not appeal this planning refusal within the statutory six month window.”
The news was greeted with a mixture of relief and delight by the protest group which campaigned vociferously against the proposal.
Kerry Noble, vice chairman, said: “This is a major and historic victory for the democratic principle and the local community who have repeatedly returned a 98%+ objection throughout the planning process.
“MBAG would like to thank everyone concerned for their generosity in time and donations to bring about this tremendous outcome in saving our beautiful area from further turbine blight.
“We must not, however, become complacent. EnergieKontor have a further six months to submit a revised application although we deem this unlikely. They have now felt the full force of an unexpected (to them!), locally led campaign of opposition.
“Any revised scheme will meet the same and the result would, almost certainly, produce a further refusal by the planning authority.”
An application by the Danish owned Air Farmers Ltd was also expected early in the new year for a 14-turbine proposal at the adjacent Middleton Burn site. However, this has not yet materialised.
“Our thoughts are that they may have been awaiting the outcome of EnergieKontor’s proposal,” said Mr Noble.
“Let us hope that their investors will now see the, very real, likelihood that they would be throwing away their cash!”
He also said the group would continue to monitor and fight the windrush to build, so called, farm turbines.
“These “singleton” applications are now all for giants of 100 metres+ in height,” said Mr Noble.
“These are not to provide energy to the farm but to farm the huge subsidy that will, hopefully, soon be scrapped by any right minded government.”
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