Campaigners who have been fighting controversial proposals for a wind farm near Burnham-On-Sea have been dealt a fresh blow this week after the company wanting to build the site lodged an appeal against a decision to reject the scheme.
Green energy firm Ecotricity wants to install four wind turbines at West Huntspill, but its scheme was turned down by Sedgemoor District Council and the company appealed to the Planning Inspectorate, which held an inquiry last year.
The inspector concluded that the turbines should be put up, but Secretary of State Eric Pickles over-ruled that recommendation and threw out the plans earlier this year.
However, Ecotricty appealed against the Secretary of State’s decision to over rule the Planning Inspectorate’s recommendation and refuse the application. A hearing was held at the High Court in London earlier this month when the judge dismissed Ecotricity’s appeal, saying there was no case to overturn the Secretary of State’s decision.
This week, though, Ecotricity has launched a final appeal against that decision in a last-ditch attempt to get approval for the wind farm.
“We are very disappointed that Ecotrocity is once again launching an appeal and challenging the decision,” Julie Trott, who has long campaigned against the plans in her role on the Huntspill Wind Farm Action Group, told Burnham-On-Sea.com on Friday (July 18th).
“I can’t say we are surprised – we were expecting the firm to lodge an appeal, but we are disappointed that this long drawn-out process is now to be further extended.”
An Ecotricity spokesman said: “We believe the Black Ditch site is absolutely an appropriate location for four wind turbines and it was clear to us that there were discrepancies in the Secretary of State’s decision to dismiss our appeal.”
Residents in Rooksbridge are also waiting to see whether the Planning Inspectorate gives the go-ahead for the equally controversial Pilrow Farm wind farm application by Broadview Energy.
Campaigners were celebrating last month after the original news
