On-shore Wind Farm Developments in Winterton, North Lincolnshire
The Petition of members of the Winterton Against Inappropriate Turbines group,
Declares that the Petitioners believe that action must be taken to address the cumulative impact of on-shore wind farm developments in the area around the North Lincolnshire settlements of Winterton, Burton Upon Stather, West Halton and Coleby.
The Petitioners therefore request that the House of Commons recognise that the latest development to enter the planning appeals process, three turbines at the Ironstone Quarry site at Winterton which would take the total number of built, consented or planned industrial wind turbines in the immediate area around the town to over 60, with many more in the wider area, is a step too far. In particular, we call on the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government to recover this appeal to ensure that the correct weight is placed on the key issues of landscape, heritage assets and cumulative impact.
And the Petitioners remain, etc.—[Presented by Andrew Percy, Official Report, 2 April 2014; Vol. 578, c. 962.]
[P001341]
Observations from the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government:
The National Planning Policy Framework clearly sets out that an application for renewable energy development should only be approved if its impact is, or can be made, acceptable. To help ensure planning decisions reflect the environmental balance in the Framework, the Government have published new planning guidance on renewable and low-carbon energy. The guidance is designed to assist local councils and planning inspectors in their consideration of Local Plans and individual planning applications and makes clear that proper weight should be given to environmental considerations like landscape, heritage, local amenity and cumulative impact when considering planning applications for renewable energy developments. We would encourage councils to have an up to date Local Plan to shape where development should and should not go.
The guidance explains that cumulative impacts require particular attention, especially the increasing impact that wind turbines can have on landscape and local amenity as the number of turbines in an area increases. We have also underlined that the need for renewable energy does not automatically override environmental protections and the planning concerns of local people, Ministers are keeping planning policy under review.
With regard to the request that the appeal is recovered, Ministers have been informed by officials that the application was refused by North Lincolnshire Council for a number of reasons. These included the impact of the turbines on important heritage assets, that the turbines would harm the amenity of nearby residents, that they would be harmful to the wider area when considering their cumulative impact with other turbines in the area and that they would be likely to have an adverse effect on ecology.
Because of the particular circumstances of this appeal, Ministers have decided that it should be recovered. Of course, the decision to recover the appeal cannot be seen as an indicator to how it will ultimately be determined. Planning is a quasi-judicial process, and as with any planning application or appeal, it will be considered on the individual merits of what is proposed.