Stribers Wind Farm Proposal

The Parish Council has been invited to comment on a scoping study for a proposed wind farm (approx. 6 x 125m turbines) at Stribers Farm, on the Ellerside ridge near Haverthwaite,  by 26^th June.

The scoping study is now available on the following website:   www.striberswindfarm.co.uk. Alternatively, paper copies can be viewed via the Clerk. The website also includes an on-line questionnaire.

Formal planning applications will follow. The first of these is an application for a wind monitoring mast (70m) for a period of 2 years, to assess the conditions for possible placement of turbines. Colton Parish Council sent in objections.
Planning permission for the mast has now been granted (10th July 2008).

This and future applications can be viewed on the SLDC on-line planning website: www.southlakeland.gov.uk/fastweb/welcome.asp.
 

In response to the Wind Farm Scoping Study Report, the Council has written to South Lakeland Parish Council with its concerns, as follows:

"Colton Parish Council is very likely to object to this development. Protection of the ‘visual amenity’ of our Parish came high on the list of priorities (5^th of 15 issues) in our recent consultation of parishioners for the Parish Plan. Colton lies within the National Park but a significant part of the Parish overlooks areas outwith the Park and these views are dominated by the Ellerside ridge. The proposed wind-farm site is very prominent from miles away. Many of the best views from our Parish look south and east,  and the proposed wind turbines would appear as a large industrial feature in these otherwise open countryside views from the National Park.

Apart from the visual amenity concerns of local people, the importance of tourism to the local economy is almost as vital now to the Lake District fringes as it is to the central Lakes. Urbanisation of the landscape with wind turbines will inevitably blight the beauty of the area and the would damage that economy. We are concerned at the precedent this wind-farm could set for wind turbines 'ringing' the National Park and the consequences for the area. It is worth referring to the recent Lake District National Park Local Development Framework Core Strategy document, section 3.29 'Crossing Boundaries', which states that the National Park and surrounding areas are 'inextricably linked', that developments outside the boundary can have significant impacts on the landscape value of the Park, and that the Park and adjoining authorities must work more closely together.

Lastly, most people are now aware that wind farms are expensive, rarely achieve their claimed power output and require fairly exact weather conditions to work effectively, or at all. Spoiling the National Park  landscape and damaging sensitive wildlife sites seems a very high price to pay for very little gain."