Plan for three wind turbines in the Ribble Valley is rejected (From Lancashire Telegraph)

Plan for three wind turbines in the Ribble Valley is rejected

1:00pm Thursday 7th February 2013 in News By Jessica Cree, Education reporter

AN application for three wind turbines at a Ribble Valley garden centre has been rejected.

Bosses at Carr Hall Home and Garden Centre, in Whalley Road, Wilpshire, had applied to erect the 46m structures in a bid to offset the site’s electricity usage.

But, after carrying out ecological, high-ways and landscape consultations, as well as seeking opinion from the Ministry of Defence, the turbines, which would have been the height of five double-decker buses, were turned down by Ribble Valley Council planning officers.

In a report to the council, Richard Maisey, safeguarding assistant for wind energy at the MOD, said the turbines could have potentially ‘adversely affected defence interests’. He said: “The MOD objects to the proposal. Wind turbines have been shown to have detrimental effects on the perform-ance of MOD ATC and range control radars.

“These effects include the desensitisation of radar in the vicinity of the turbines, and the creation of ‘false’ aircraft returns which air traffic controllers must treat as real.”

Andrew Donelan’s development plans had been for elevated green belt land within the garden centre boundaries.

It had been anticipated the 50 kilowatt turbines would generate 600,000 kilowatt hours of energy each year, enough to power 120 homes. Lancashire County Council ecologists raised concerns over the effect on bats, breeding waders, grasslands, owls and raptors.

And Billington and Langho Parish Council said it also strongly objected because of the ‘devastating visual impact’ it would have on the surrounding area. A public meeting organised by protesters in July was attended by more than 250 people.

Nobody from Carr Hall Home and Garden Centre was available for comment.

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