Planning application submitted for second windfarm

Here is the formal press release (obviously biased towards the scheme):

Renewable energy specialist Wind Prospect Developments Limited (WPDL) has submitted a formal application to South Northamptonshire Council to build a wind farm on agricultural land close to the M1, east of Roade and north of Hartwell.

The proposal comprises nine 1.3 megawatt wind turbines, with tower heights of approximately 60 metres and rotor diameters of approximately 60 metres. The maximum tip height (when a blade is vertical) will be no greater than 90 metres - full details of the proposal are available at www.m1windfarm.com.

Alastair Smith, Development and Planning Manager at WPDL, says: “Following an extensive series of technical and environmental investigations stretching over more than a year, we have demonstrated that this site is ideally suited to the creation of a wind farm and we hope that the SNC Planning Committee will support our proposal."

The site of the proposed M1 Wind Farm is not subject to any national environmental designations (e.g. sites of special scientific interest), historic designations (e.g. scheduled ancient monuments), or national landscape designations (e.g. areas of outstanding natural beauty), and it is located near to Junction 15 of the M1 motorway, so it benefits from good connections to the strategic transport network for turbine delivery.

The site is significantly distant from large conurbations and already experiences a significant level of visual and noise intrusion caused by the M1. Notwithstanding this, the site provides sufficient scope to locate the proposed turbines with ample separation distances to housing and bridleways.

The UK is committed to a target of 15 percent of energy from renewables by 2020, as part of the EU Renewable Energy Directive. This target is equivalent to a seven-fold increase in UK renewable energy consumption from 2008 levels and wind farms represent the most cost-effective means by which to meet this target and improve the UK's energy security.

The M1 Wind Farm application is strongly supported by Blisworth based environmental specialists Buttonwood Marketing. Their Graham Meller (a Shutlanger resident) says: “This is a wonderful opportunity to create a local source of clean renewable energy and I would urge as many people as possible to support the proposal because it will help to reduce the pollution and climate effects of burning fossil fuels.”

What do you think about this planning application? 

Thanks to Towcester News for passing on the details