Turbines would be a blight, appeal hears

Seven giant wind turbines would blight a "unique and valued landscape" on the Shropshire border, a planning appeal has heard.

Helen Moriarty, landscape officer for Shropshire Council told the appeal over the proposed windfarm at Lower Farm, Bearstone, near Market Drayton that the site was a rare type of landscape and inappropriate for the development.

She was giving evidence on the second day of the appeal at Woore Victory Hall yesterday.

Energy firm Nuon Renewables appealed after planning permission for the seven 110m turbines at the site was turned down by the former North Shropshire District Council and Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council.

Mrs Moriarty said she had advised the district council on the landscape when the planning application for the turbines was first lodged by Nuon, and stood by the view that the turbines would be an eyesore.

"The proposed windfarm would adversely affect the character of the landscape, spoiling the tranquillity, its gentle rolling landform and fairly dense hedgerows, trees and woodlands," she said. "It's unique. Timbered pastures are only found in this north east corner of Shropshire.

"The visual effects will be felt by the residents of Woore.

"The landscape here is a unique and valued landscape, and the siting of seven turbines on this landscape would be inappropriate. They would be out of scale."

Mrs Moriarty added trees and plants would not reduce the turbines' effect.

She said: "Often mature trees do not exceed 30m and these turbines are 110m to blade tip, so my own view is the tree cover is not going to mask the turbines.

"I think there will be clear conflicts of scale and the land has not got the capacity to absorb the turbines of this size.

"The turbines would be visually apparent and mitigation, using trees and plants, is unlikely to have an effect.

"I think turbines look okay in the right landscape; the right landscape would be a large scale landscape."

Mrs Moriarty added that the site at Bearstone was considered to be one of "high sensitivity."

Andrew Newcombe, the barrister representing Nuon, quoted Government policy on climate change and said windfarms can make an important contribution to renewable energy generation.

Mr Newcombe also pointed out that the wind turbines would be temporary and that they could be decommissioned after a number of years.

He claimed that Mrs Moriarty had not taken this into account when she had been consulted by North Shropshire District Council.

The appeal is due to continue until May 21.