Wind turbine plans: third time lucky?

Applicant defends his green credentials against critics

CONTROVERSIAL wind turbine plans are “driven” by the fact that the would-be developer owns the plot of land, Graham Jones (Con, Lambourn Valley) claimed this week.

Last week it was revealed that businessman Matt Partridge had resubmitted historic proposals, despite two previous refusals from planning chiefs.

Permission to place a turbine on Lambourn's Baydon Meadow was first refused in 2003.

Undeterred, Mr Partridge tried again in 2007 but his proposals for the turbine - then set to be 81 metres tall - were again rejected.

A subsequent planning appeal also failed.

NowMr Partridge has applied for permission for a turbine on the same site but only one third of the height.

Speaking in 2007 Mr Jones described the site, which lies in his ward, as “uniquely bad” to the turbine.

He said: “My big criticism of the applicant is that the proposal is to site a wind turbine at the end of a runway.”

Mr Jones said this week that he had yet to study the new plans but added: “The problem is that these proposals are driven by the fact that the applicant owns the site - not on wider environmental issues.”

Mr Partridge concurred: “I bought the land 10 years ago with a view to siting a wind turbine on it. It has all the right attributes - it's windy, sparsely populated and there's a motorway 100 metres away which means that any auditory impact is negated by the traffic.”

Mr Partridge also said he was driven by environmental, rather than solely financial concerns.

He added: “I've been involved in the on-shore wind develolment sector since I graduated. I'm very concerned about environmental issues and my career has been largely spent in renewable energy.”

Mr Partridge is a director of on-shore wind energy developer

Renewable Energy Generation and lives in Bath, Avon.

The application will be determined by West Berkshire planners at a date to be fixed.