The developer behind plans for a new wind farm near Burnham-On-Sea says it is considering an appeal after Sedgemoor District Council this week rejected its controversial planning application for four giant wind turbines.
Broadview Energy wanted to construct the 130-metre tall wind turbines – each as tall as Brent Knoll – on land at Pilrow Farm, south of Rooksbridge.
But Sedgemoor’s Planning Officer Rebecca Miller said Broadview’s scheme at Pilrow would “represent an unacceptable visual intrusion into the flat landscape of the Somerset Levels, particularly in respect of the harm to the views to and from Brent Knoll” and rejected it this week, as reported by Burnham-On-Sea.com here.
Tom Cosgrove, Project Manager for Broadview Energy, pictured top, said the firm is now “currently considering its options for the site” and that an appeal is possible.
He told Burnham-On-Sea.com: “The UK has an urgent need for new electricity generating plant and, if approved, the Pilrow wind farm would have made a valuable contribution to increasing our energy security and reducing carbon emissions.”
“It is our view that Sedgemoor District Council failed to properly take account of this in making its decision on the application and we continue to believe this to be an excellent location for a wind farm.”
“Visual change is an inevitable consequence of building tall structures such as wind turbines, however, the expansion of wind energy remains central to UK energy policy.”
“Therefore, decision makers must carefully consider in each instance whether the country’s ambition to increase its green energy supply and keep the lights on outweighs that visual change.”
Broadview says that had the wind farm been constructed, it could have generated enough electricity to meet the needs of up to 7,560 homes, making an important contribution towards increasing energy security and reducing emissions.
In addition, Broadview was proposing a community fund of £2,500 per MW of installed capacity each year over the wind farm’s 25 year lifetime, which could have amounted to between £500,000 and £750,000.
