Controversial plans to build two wind turbines in the Northumberland countryside have been denied planning permission by a planning committee.
Green Energy Ponteland had submitted applications to build two 255 foot wind turbines, one of which would be located on green belt farmland near Ponteland and the other would be at New Berwick near Eglingham. Controversially, the proposed site near Ponteland is owned by one of the Conservative Councillors at Northumberland County Council.
Planning officers at the Council had recommended that the planning application should be accepted, although a combined total of nearly 150 objections were submitted. The planning committee turned down the applications over concerns about their possible impact on the green belt. The news will come as a great relief to the Campaign to Protect Rural England and the pressure group Save Northumberland's Environment (SANE), who both opposed the applications.
Andrew Joicey of SANE said, "The county council is beginning to realise that now is the chance to stop Northumberland being proliferated by these things. I think the applicants would be very, very foolish to appeal, given the circumstances, and I hope they will retire gracefully, having learned a lesson."
In addition, one of the wind turbines would have been approximately 400 metres away from a former Police headquarters which will be redeveloped as homes. Whilst this is fine at the minute, the Wind Turbines (Minimum Distances from Residential Premises) Bill, should it come into force, may introduce a law to make sure wind turbines of this height are built at least 1500 metres from homes.
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