Wind farm plan rejected

2:46pm Thursday 29th November 2007

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A WIND farm developer is appealing against a council's decision to refuse planning permission for three turbines.

London-based developers Coronation Power submitted a planning application for three wind turbines on the moors in Reaps Moss in Bacup.

After more than three hours in the meeting on Wednesday night, Rossendale councillors on the Development Control Committee refused to grant Coronation Power planning permission.

As soon as the decision was made Vickram Mirchandani, managing director of Corporation Power, said he would appeal the decision.

More than 100 people attended the Rossendale Borough Council meeting in Rawtenstall on Wednesday night to hear the objections and support for the development just south of the A681 between Tooter Hill and Hogshead Law Hill, to the east of Bacup.

The original plans consisted of four wind turbines 80 metres high. This was later reduced to three.

A recorded vote was taken and nine councillors including Anne Cheetham, Judith Driver, Christine Lamb, and Tim Nuttall voted against the plans and two councillors, Allan Neal and Amanda Robertson, were in favour of the development.

Judith Driver, Conservative councillor for Greensclough ward, said: "I don't want Rossendale to be known as Turbine City' and it is a big concern for me."

Scheme supporter Kim Thompson, who is a landowner on the Moss, said: "I can't understand the problem with wind turbines they aren't ugly, they are nice to look at.

"It seems to me the moor is a correct place for the wind turbines to be."

The application was refused on a number of grounds including the visual and ecological impact of the proposal.

Mr Mirchandani said: "We will appealing against the decision .

"The majority of wind farm applications get turned down.

"When we started this business we were not expecting to win at local level.

"But I am expecting this wind farm to happen. "