PLANS to build four giant wind turbines in an area which has endured opencast coal mining and the mass disposal of animal carcasses in the past look set to get the green light next week.
Energy company Infinis wants to erect the turbines – each 126m high – at the former Sisters opencast mine near the village of Widdrington in Northumberland.
The site is also close to land where tens of thousands of slaughtered farm animals were buried during the 2001 foot and mouth epidemic.
Next week county councillors will be recommended by their planning officers to approve the application – which has generated 35 objections and 17 letters of support from local people.
Blue Sky Forest – which involves developing a raft of visitor attractions at three local opencast mines after they are restored – includes its own wind turbines scheme by developer Peel Energy.
Yesterday one local community leader urged planning committee members to “look at the bigger picture”, and reject a scheme which he claims will bring no benefits to the area.
James Grant, who is vice-chairman of Widdrington Village Parish Council and a key member of the Widdrington Regeneration Partnership, said approving the four turbines could jeopardise the ambitious Blue Sky Forest tourism and leisure project, which seeks to create hundreds of jobs.
”If they allow the four Infinis turbines the chances are we will not get ours at Blue Sky Forest, because too many of these things are going up now,” he said.
“Renewable energy might be necessary to get our project up and running, but we are talking about something that could create 1,000 jobs. This area will die if we don’t have a major employment base, which Blue Sky Forest could provide.
“There are no jobs and no benefit to the local community from the four turbines proposed by Infinis, and I hope the county council realises that it is threatening 1,000 jobs if they agree to them.
“They need to concentrate on the bigger picture here.” Blue Sky Forest – which is still being worked on and developed by the WRP – involves a golfing, hotel, holiday, skiing and adventure complex.
The Infinis application has been opposed by Widdrington Village Parish Council, Widdrington Station and Stobswood Parish Council and the Widdrington Village residents’ association.
A report to the county council’s planning and environment next week says the Sisters wind farm would have a capacity of 10 megawatts and be capable of powering between 4,000 and 5,000 homes a year.
Planning officers say it will contribute to providing a clean and sustainable source of locally-produced renewable energy, and is consistent with national and regional policy.
They say the applicants have minimised the impact on the local landscape by reducing the number of turbines from five to four, and their height from 140 metres to 126 metres. The report says the turbines will not have a dominant or overbearing impact on local properties.
