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Source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/earth/energy/windpower/11774011/Giant-wind-farm-scrapped-following-planning-changes.html
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July 30:
Campaigners feared proposed Nocton Fen wind farm, on land owned by Sir James Dyson, could ruin views of Lincoln cathedral
Campaigners feared the wind farm would ruin views of Lincoln cathedral Photo: GETTY
Controversial plans to build one of England's biggest wind farms near Lincoln have been scrapped as a result of Government changes to give locals a greater say over planning decisions.
The proposed Nocton Fen wind farm would have been built on land owned by Sir James Dyson and campaigners feared it could ruin views of Lincoln cathedral.
Developer Vattenfall wanted to build 20 turbines each standing up to 149.5 metres tall – the tallest in England, and nearly double the height of the cathedral - under plans described as “ghastly and monstrous” by Lord Cormac, a local resident.
The turbines would have had a combined capacity of up to 68 megawatts – equalling the power of the biggest wind farm in England.
But Vattenfall announced on Thursday it was stopping work on the project after concluding it would “not fit with the Government’s emerging changes to planning policy”.
Ministers announced in June that big wind farms such as Nocton Fen would no longer be dealt with by national planners as Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects, and decisions would instead be taken at local level in order to ensure communities had the “final say” over onshore wind farms.
Vattenfall said: “Due to the Government’s significant recent shift in national planning policy for onshore wind farms, Vattenfall has decided to stop the Nocton Fen Wind Energy Project.
“Whilst this project would have satisfied the Government’s policy to drive down the cost of electricity from onshore wind farms, the expected changes to the planning system mean that a project of this scale will no longer be supported by national planning policy.”
Sir James’s position on the windfarm has never been made clear. Although the entrepreneur has previously spoken out in support of renewable energy, the agreement with Vattenfall was signed before his company, Beeswax Farming, acquired the land.
In a statement, Beeswax Farming said: “Beeswax Farming bought this estate, which is excellent farming land, in order to grow crops. That remains the case. Any decision on wind farms is a matter for Vattenfall only.”
• Ending onshore wind farm subsidies 'will save hundreds of millions of pounds'
A Conservative source said: "This Government was elected with a clear manifesto commitment to give local people the final say over onshore wind farms and that is what we have done."
Vattenfall’s decision to scrap the project also follows the Government’s move to end subsidies for onshore wind farms.
John Constable, director of Renewable Energy Foundation, a UK charity that has long been critical of subsidies, said this was also likely to be a factor in its decision.
“Reductions in subsidies are clearly beginning to cool down an over-excited onshore wind sector, to the huge relief of local communities,” he said. “The real challenge now is to rebuild public confidence in a reformed climate change agenda, but this is not going to be easy, and environmentalists may come to rue the day that the wind industry became the poster-child of their movement."
The proposed Nocton Fen wind farm would have been built on land owned by Sir James Dyson and campaigners feared it could ruin views of Lincoln cathedral.
Developer Vattenfall wanted to build 20 turbines each standing up to 149.5 metres tall – the tallest in England, and nearly double the height of the cathedral - under plans described as “ghastly and monstrous” by Lord Cormac, a local resident.
The turbines would have had a combined capacity of up to 68 megawatts – equalling the power of the biggest wind farm in England.
But Vattenfall announced on Thursday it was stopping work on the project after concluding it would “not fit with the Government’s emerging changes to planning policy”.
Ministers announced in June that big wind farms such as Nocton Fen would no longer be dealt with by national planners as Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects, and decisions would instead be taken at local level in order to ensure communities had the “final say” over onshore wind farms.
Vattenfall said: “Due to the Government’s significant recent shift in national planning policy for onshore wind farms, Vattenfall has decided to stop the Nocton Fen Wind Energy Project.
“Whilst this project would have satisfied the Government’s policy to drive down the cost of electricity from onshore wind farms, the expected changes to the planning system mean that a project of this scale will no longer be supported by national planning policy.”
Sir James’s position on the windfarm has never been made clear. Although the entrepreneur has previously spoken out in support of renewable energy, the agreement with Vattenfall was signed before his company, Beeswax Farming, acquired the land.
In a statement, Beeswax Farming said: “Beeswax Farming bought this estate, which is excellent farming land, in order to grow crops. That remains the case. Any decision on wind farms is a matter for Vattenfall only.”
• Ending onshore wind farm subsidies 'will save hundreds of millions of pounds'
A Conservative source said: "This Government was elected with a clear manifesto commitment to give local people the final say over onshore wind farms and that is what we have done."
Vattenfall’s decision to scrap the project also follows the Government’s move to end subsidies for onshore wind farms.
John Constable, director of Renewable Energy Foundation, a UK charity that has long been critical of subsidies, said this was also likely to be a factor in its decision.
“Reductions in subsidies are clearly beginning to cool down an over-excited onshore wind sector, to the huge relief of local communities,” he said. “The real challenge now is to rebuild public confidence in a reformed climate change agenda, but this is not going to be easy, and environmentalists may come to rue the day that the wind industry became the poster-child of their movement."
Source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/earth/energy/windpower/11774011/Giant-wind-farm-scrapped-following-planning-changes.html
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