Wind Turbine Appeal Lost

A planning inspector has rejected an appeal against a decision by Pembrokeshire County Council to refuse planning permission for a wind turbine on land at Manorowen near Fishguard. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The appeal was made by Idris James after the County Council refused permission in December 2015. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The application for planning permission related to a single wind turbine measuring 36.6m to blade tip, to be located in an open field on land at Hendre Wen about 70m to the west of a bridleway. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The Inspector, Alwyn Nixon, said the main issue to determine was ‘the effect of the development on the amenity and safety of users of the nearby bridleway and whether any harm in these terms is outweighed by the renewable energy benefits of the proposal’. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

He concluded that the proposal’s ‘failure to adequately deal with presence of the bridleway compromises the environmental acceptability of the proposal in this case’. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“Taken alongside the proposal’s conflict with policy GN1, I conclude that the proposal is contrary to the development plan, and that material considerations sufficient to indicate a decision other than in accordance with the plan are not present here,” he said in his report. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“For the reasons given, therefore, and having regard to all matters raised, I conclude that the appeal should not succeed.” ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​