D-day on wind farm plan just weeks away
A FINAL decision on whether to approve a planning application to build a wind farm near Swinford is just a few weeks away.
Harborough District Council will decide next month on whether to give the green light to the proposals, lodged by energy firm Nuon UK, to site 11 of the 125-metre tall turbines on land near the village.
However, because the application is expected to generate a huge amount of interest, the authority is organising a special one-off planning meeting to discuss the plans.
Councillors on HDC’s planning committee are also undergoing additional training in advance of the meeting to ensure they are better informed about the legal issues surrounding wind farms.
A spokesman for HDC said that while there are two forthcoming planning meetings, a decision had been made to organise the one-off meeting.
He added: “The application won’t be on either of the planning agendas for the January or February meetings.
“We are having a stand-alone meeting specifically for that application which will be in February. The date is yet to be confirmed.”
A campaign group was set up last year to fight the application.
Keith Kilbane, chairman of Stop the Swinford Wind Farm Action Group (SSWFAG), said the group had almost completed its arguments against the proposals.
He added: “All bar one of our group’s objections have already been submitted.
“Many members of the group have worked long and hard to defend the interests of villages around the proposal site.
“Our objections are based on the technical matters uncovered by background research conducted by the members of the group. Some of this research has been local but much has been international.”
SSWFAG was rapped by the Advertising Standards Agency before Chritstmas for publishing ‘misleading’ literature.
Rob Fellows, spokesman for Nuon UK, said: “Since the ASA ruling we have had a number of messages of support from people in support of the application.
“Hopefully we can have a rational debate about the proposals and we eagerly await the planning decision.”
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Weather for Harborough
Saturday 04 February 2012
Today
Light snow
Temperature: -1 C to 1 C
Wind Speed: 15 mph
Wind direction: South
Tomorrow
Cloudy
Temperature: 1 C to 4 C
Wind Speed: 9 mph
Wind direction: West
