Texts of News
Releases that were on North Devon Council Website (with thanks to North Devon Council for allowing us to use this, as it is no longer on their website) |
"Fullabrook Down
application granted"
Tuesday (9th October 2007) The link below includes a pdf of the Inspector's Report. North Devon District Council is deeply disappointed and concerned to learn that planning permission has been granted for a wind farm in one of the most beautiful and prominent areas of the district. Following a Public Inquiry John Hutton, the Secretary
of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform,
announced he had granted permission to build 22, 110 metre
high wind turbines near Fullabrook Down.
NDDC had recommended that the application be refused
and will be scrutinising the report closely to see if
there are any grounds to challenge the decision.
Because of the large scale of the proposal the final
decision on the application had to be made by the
Secretary of State.
At the Public Inquiry, held between November 06 and
January 07, the District Council argued that the impact
the development had on the local landscape, the wider
areas of the Taw and Torridge Estuary and the Areas of
Outstanding Natural Beauty, the lives of those living in
the area and on local tourism far out weighed any
benefits.
Speaking after the decision, Leader of the Council Cllr
Mike Harrison was joined by Cllr Malcolm Prowse, Liberal
Democrat Leader in saying: “We are shocked and
disappointed by the decision. Regrettably it seems this
decision typifies the way Government thinking is going, as
evidenced in the new Planning White Paper, with its
emphasis seemingly on moving decision-making closer to the
centre, and further from the communities who will
experience the consequences of those decisions.
“It also seems that North Devon and its people are
picking up the pieces of Devon County Council’s flawed
Structure Plan policies on renewable energy targets and
‘Areas of Search’ for windfarms.”
A copy of the Planning
Inspector's report (pdf 793kb) and the Secretary
of State's decision letter (Word 81kb)
explaining the decision are available on the Council's
website.
"North Devon Council announced its disappointment today at the High Court’s indication that it will not uphold the Council’s challenge against a decision to build 22 giant wind turbines in North Devon." 25th June 2008 North Devon Council announced its disappointment today
at the High Court’s indication that it will not uphold the
Council’s challenge against a decision to build 22 giant
wind turbines in North Devon.
At the High Court in London, the Council’s legal team
challenged the way factors such as noise, landscape and
policy were considered in the decision following from the
original Public Inquiry.
Leader of North Devon Council, Mike Harrison, says, “We
took the route we felt was right to ensure the well being
of the people of North Devon and the countryside. This was
an important point of principle and was not a decision we
at the Council took lightly.
“If this indication is correct we will be extremely
disappointed and will be considering all our options.”
The Council is expecting the judge to hand down his
formal decision on Friday morning with his reasons.
Earlier this year North Devon Council decided to seek a
full judicial review against the Secretary of State’s
decision to grant planning permission for a 66-megawatt
wind farm at Fullabrook Down.
His decision to grant planning permission for the
development at Fullabrook Down followed a Public Inquiry
held between November 2006 and January 2007.
During the Inquiry, North Devon Council argued strongly
that the impact the development would have on the local
landscape, the lives of those living in the area, the
attractiveness of the area to visitors and local tourism
far out weighed any benefits.
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