Families set to lose fight over turbines

Mar 26 2010 by David Black, The Journal

FAMILIES in a cluster of rural hamlets look set to lose their battle against plans to erect four wind turbines five times the height of the Angel of the North.

Residents living around Todd Hill – 3km north of Morpeth and west of the main A697 road – set up the pressure group Put People First to fight the wind farm proposed by Novera Energy.

Last year they flew a large orange blimp 101 metres above the site to show local people and council planners the likely visual impact of the structures.

Now they are facing defeat in their campaign – with county council planning officers recommending the green light for the 8/10 megawatt wind farm near the hamlet of Pigdon.

Councillors will be told the benefits of the scheme in helping the region meet its challenging renewable energy targets outweigh any damage the turbines will cause to the local landscape and views.

Northumberland has fallen woefully short of its target of generating 212 megawatts of renewable energy by this year, with only 4.5 megawatts so far.

County planning officials say a significant number of new projects will have to be developed to help meet even more challenging targets set for 2020.

Todd Hill is one of six separate wind farm bids – involving a total of 38 turbines – currently seeking the green light from the council.

The others are at Wingates and Park Head Farm near Morpeth, Ancroft Moor near Berwick, Capheaton and Whittonstall.

Novera Energy's application has generated more than 180 letters of objection from residents and opposition from five local parish councils.