Wind turbine bid set to be rejected

The application, to build the turbine at Sandy Lane Farm, Prees, will be considered by Shropshire Council's planning committee next Tuesday.

In a report assessing the plan Shropshire Council's planning officer Kelvin Hall recommended that it is rejected because it goes against national policy.

He said: "The proposal for a single wind turbine at Sandy Lane Farm would provide renewable energy for the farm and would contribute to a reduction in greenhouse gases. There have been no local concerns received. It is considered that the impacts of the proposal on landscape, visual and heritage assets are outweighed by its benefits.

"Nevertheless the proposal conflicts with recently-issued national policy and with SAMDev Plan policy MD8 and as such it is recommended that planning permission is refused."

The turbine would have a hub height of 23.7 metres and a height to blade tip of 31.6 metres.

Mr Hall said that the turbine would have a three-bladed rotor with a diameter of 15.8 metres, and would be light grey in colour.

The turbine would be connected to an existing meter at the farm through a cable laid along farmland and an existing private track.

The application states that the operational period of the turbine would be 25 years and that it would be on the eastern side of a field, approximately 400 metres to the south-west of the farm buildings.

Mr Hall's report stated that the application is supported by Prees Parish Council and that there had been no objections filed.

The application will go before the council's committee because the planning officer's assessment goes against the parish council recommendation.

An assessment from the applicants on the proposal's impact on the landscape concludes it would be minor.

It states: "The landscape and visual impact assessment concludes that the proposed wind turbine is predicted to have a minor significance of effect on landscape character and effects on visual amenity that range from moderate/major to neutral."

However, the council's questions that conclusion stating: "Given the size of the turbine and the public viewpoints in the vicinity the proposal would result in a noticeable addition to the landscape, and impact adversely on landscape character and visual amenity."