Express & Star

Planners deal blow to wind farm scheme

The creation of a controversial wind farm near a Midland tourist attraction was today dealt a blow after plans for a 229ft mast to monitor air flow were thrown out.

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The creation of a controversial wind farm near a Midland tourist attraction was today dealt a blow after plans for a 229ft mast to monitor air flow were thrown out.

Wind Prospect Developments Ltd wants to create six 413ft wind turbines at King Street on the Bradford Estate near Weston Park, on the South Staffordshire-Shropshire border.

It had put forward a separate application for a monitoring mast to gather wind speed data.

South Staffordshire Council officers had recommended the mast application be approved.

In a report to councillors they stated: "The application should be considered separately from the main wind farm application, even if this is contrary to logic.

"The temporary, light structured mast would have short term detrimental impact on the tranquillity of the local landscape.

"The temporary nature of this impact to the landscape ...would, on balance, not be so significant as to be unacceptable."

They recommended it be agreed "despite the application being a precursor to a potential larger, more significant development".

But members of the regulatory committee unanimously threw out the plans, claiming it was an inappropriate development that would be intrusive.

Paul Grimshaw, development manager at Wind Prospect Developments Ltd, said today: "We are disappointed with the refusal.

"We will now wait for the decision notice which will give more information on why the application was refused.

"Until we have that information, we are unable to determine whether to appeal."

Campaigners fighting the wind farm have formed the Stop the Turbines Action Group which argues that the turbines will be visible for 30 miles, will ruin the landscape and force house prices down.

The plans will come before the regulatory committee on March 15.

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