Bid to halt wind farm
A RENEWABLE energy company has submitted plans to build three wind turbines on land near Beccles which has angered campaigners who say they would “disfigure” the town and the surrounding countryside.
A RENEWABLE energy company has submitted plans to build three wind turbines on land near Beccles which has angered campaigners who say they would “disfigure” the town and the surrounding countryside.
Stamford Renewables is seeking planning permission to build the turbines, along with a 60m wind mast and ancillary infrastructure, on land at Devonshire Farm, Ringsfield.
The Journal reported last June that the company was looking to put up as many as four groups of three turbines on land in the parishes of Ringsfield, Weston, Barsham and Shipmeadow.
A Waveney District Council spokesman yesterday confirmed the authority is expecting further planning applications.
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There has been strong local opposition to the scheme and a campaign group called HALT has been formed to fight the plans.
A HALT spokesman said: “As soon as a copy of the planning application is made available, HALT's lawyers and consultants will go through it with a fine toothed comb.
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“Our findings will form the basis of a report to Waveney planning objecting to the proposed development, which we believe is wholly inappropriate for the sites selected, and will disfigure Beccles and the surrounding countryside.”
Documents submitted to the council say that while the company is currently unable to specify the exact model and manufacturer of turbine that would be chosen assessments have been based on a Vestas V90 3MW wind turbine, which has a maximum tip height of 125m.
This is almost as high as Lowestoft's Gulliver wind turbine which has a tip height of 126m. In comparison, Beccles bell tower is just under 30m high.
According to the plans the turbines at Devonshire Farm are anticipated to generate enough electricity to power the equivalent of 5,040 UK homes.
The documents add that “5,040 homes corresponds to 10pc of the total number of homes in the Waveney district area and would thereby constitute a significant commitment by Waveney District Council towards the National UK target of 10pc of electricity supply from renewable energy by 2010 and 15pc by 2015 as well as the Eastern region's renewable energy targets.”
A spokesman for Stamford Renewables was unavailable for comment yesterday.
Previously chief executive Mike Stamford has said that if the scheme was given planning approval a community fund set up for 12 turbines would bring in �72,000 per annum for their 25-year lifespan which could be spent on local projects.
A district council spokesman said the plans for turbines at Devonshire Farm were not currently available to view online for administrative reasons.
