Wind Farm Monitoring Mast Application Refused

2.27.00pm GMT Fri 27th Nov 2009

Nigel Rock, Andrew Patrick and Bev Mann

A packed public gallery of over 100 people watched as Stratford District Council planning committee refused an application for a wind monitoring mast by a margin of one vote on Wednesday (25 November). The purpose of the mast, which was to be sited at Knightcote nears Bishops Itchington was to provide wind speed and direction information for a potential wind farm at the site although there was considerable debate about the degree of connection with renewable energy in technical planning terms.

Both Ward Members Andrew Patrick (Lib Dem) and Bev Mann (Lib Dem) had opposed the application. Speaking to the committee Andrew Patrick said "There is clearly a pressing need for dealing with climate change and we must bring forward renewable energy schemes, but this is neither the right place nor right approach. We need schemes that have the support of communities and to enable those communities to eventually become self-sufficient in energy." He quoted extensively from a paper that had been endorsed by two committees at Stratford with the intent of this becoming a planning guidance document. The paper* had been written by Nigel Rock (Lib Dem - Stockton and Napton) and the passages on community schemes received a round of applause from the audience - "Community schemes should be encouraged. In other countries, such schemes offering a 'bottom up' approach have been successful because the local communities are seen to have received gains or advantages. This is to be encouraged rather a top down 'control and command approach', where local communities may perceive a scheme has been foisted upon them and see it as inappropriate to the locale and the energy distribution requirements of the District."

The mast was refused on the grounds of impact on visual amenity. Planning Officers had advised members of the committee that this was not an application for a wind farm, and that they should only consider the application for the mast in isolation, despite supporting the application on the basis of renewable energy policies.

Nigel Rock, who is also the Lib Dem Parliamentary Candidate for the new constituency of Kenilworth and Southam, which covers the application site said "This is clearly not the right way of considering an application for these sorts of developments. We can't have it both ways - Officers should not have to somehow pretend a 60 m high wind monitoring mast is unconnected with the potential for a wind farm at the location - whilst at the same time considering it within policies that support the development of renewable energy. I have written to the Head of Planning to ask for a better way of dealing with the whole intended eventual installation of sites like this which would be fairer to all concerned. "

• The paper which has been endorsed by the environment quality and climate change panel and scrutiny committee is intended to support the creation of a local development framework.