Date set for wind farm inquiry
A DATE has been set for a public inquiry into proposals for a 22 turbine wind farm on fenland near Sleaford.
The Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change has called a public inquiry for the scheme put forward by Ecotricity for land at Six Hundred Farm, East Heckington, just north of the A17.
Each turbine would measure up to 125m tall and the inquiry was triggered after North Kesteven District Council objected to the scheme in January, concerned about the amount of land being filled with concrete and doubts over the effect it would have on aircraft radar.
There have also been objections from South Kyme Parish Council, together with 53 letters of objection and a petition against the 54MW renewable energy project.
An inspector has been appointed by the minister to hold the inquiry on his behalf. The inquiry meeting is to be held at Boston West Golf Club at 10am on July 31. Any requests to participate in the inquiry must be received by the programme officer no later than May 18.
In October 2011 Boston Borough Council’s planning committee considered the proposal by Ecotricity. It did not support the application but would not formally request the Secretary of State to hold a public inquiry. The committee’s concerns related to the environmental health manager’s misgivings over the quality of the noise information – particularly in respect of background noise data.
Ecotricity founder Dale Vince said it was a shame NKDC had gone against the advice of its own planning department, saying it was completely in line with Government policy and had passed all of the technical hurdles.
He said: “This one project will increase England’s onshore wind capacity by three per cent.
“We are confident the minister will find in our favour and we will start breaking ground in 2013.”
n Do you oppose the idea of wind farms in fenland or do you support Mr Vince’s view? Email your views to andy.hubbert@jpress.co.uk
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Weather for Sleaford
Saturday 25 May 2013
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 5 C to 15 C
Wind Speed: 14 mph
Wind direction: North
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Sunny
Temperature: 7 C to 18 C
Wind Speed: 12 mph
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