by Trevor Bevins, Local Democracy Reporter.
As the UK prepares to face an fresh energy crisis Dorset Council officers say a larger wind turbine near Bere Regis could be against the authority’s policies and cause ‘harm’ to the landscape.
A proposal to replace the existing turbine with a larger one will be debated by councillors next week.
Council officers are not making a firm recommendation on the issue – laying out the arguments and leaving councillors to decide the balance between landscape issues and energy needs.
If approved the current turbine at Rogers Hill Farm, completed in 2012 at a maximum height of almost 60 metres, could be replaced with one reaching 250 metres.
Compared to the existing 800mwh produced each year now the new machine is capable of 6,000mwh – enough to power almost 1,300 homes.
If approved the new turbine would be put up by cranes 250metres south of the existing site – the siting amended during the course of the application to reduce the likely impact on bats due to its proximity to hedgerows.
Grid connection and parts of the existing site access from Roke Road would be re-used.
The current turbine can be clearly seen from the A35 and surrounding areas and is 1.5km from the edge of Bere Regis, 2.5km from Tolpuddle and 2.5km from Milborne St Andrew.
A report to councillors who will meet in Wimborne next week to decide the application says the size of the proposed turbine and its location means it could be in breach of planning policy for the area.
Said a report : “There are a range of elevated vantage points within the National Landscape to the north-northwest that would experience moderate adverse effects due to the significant increase in the scale of the turbine. The effects of most relevance to the decision are distributed over a diffuse area within the National Landscape, to the north-northwest of the turbine.. These impacts will need to be weighed against the benefits of the project, particularly the substantive increase in renewable energy production.”
Along with the application comes a promise of further community funding for Bere Regis parish council and £1200,000 for “landscape enhancement.”
Support for the larger turbine comes from parish councils nearest to the site and from the Dorset Council Economic Development and Tourism Team, which tells councillors deciding the application: “From an economic development perspective, the arguments in favour of this application are strong and clear. It will provide jobs in its design, construction and maintenance, it will provide electricity that everyone needs to live, work, and learn, and increasingly to power our transport and heating as we move to a lower Carbon economy.
“Onshore wind turbines are probably one of the most cost-effective, efficient, and environmentally friendly ways of generating electricity. In the public interest.”
Fourteen public comments have been received by the council about the proposal – raising concerns about the harm to the landscape, the ‘excessive increase’ in size from existing; impacts on ecology and potential noise.
Supporters made reference to the benefits of green energy and the fact that the area is used to having a turbine in the area which many people now see as positive.
