Firm loses Hempnall windfarm appeal

A photomontage of the proposed wind turbine development at Hempnall put together by opposers of the plans and which is not to scale.

SHAUN LOWTHORPE

09 December 2009

An energy firm hoping to build a windfarm on the edge of a Norfolk village yesterday lost an appeal bid aimed at overturning a decision to refuse the plans.

Diss based Enertrag UK had hoped to overturn a planning decision by South Norfolk council which had refused permission for the firm to build seven 125m wind turbines at Hempnall last August.

The plan had been turned down on the grounds it would have an impact on the character of the area and be detrimental to local listed buildings.

In September a planning inquiry was held to determine the fate of the plan and yesterday inspectors upheld the original decision after considering the effect on nearby St Margaret's Church, turbine noise, visual amenity and the impact on the local bat populations.

South Norfolk MP Richard Bacon welcomed the decision.

“This decision is a victory for common sense,” he said. “The inspector has clearly listened to strongly expressed local views that Bussey's Loke was not the right site for a wind farm. I am particularly pleased that he has recognised the inherently attractive “human” scale and quality of the environment.”

Mr Bacon said it would be better for the environment if future wind farms were built at sea.

“In order to take advantage of the benefits of wind power we should go off-shore, where it is much windier,” he added. “It would then be possible to have large scale developments and big economies of scale, without the intrusion which this type of development on-shore will inevitably cause in a gentle rural landscape.”