Firm fights on to site turbines

An appeal has been launched against a decision by Newark and Sherwood District Council to refuse planning permission for three wind turbines.

An inquiry into the decision to turn down the application for the turbines at Cotham Road, Hawton, submitted by Bolsterstone Innovative Energy, is set to be held next month.

The council rejected the application on the grounds that it did not give enough information about the impact of the turbines on the proposed Growth Point development, which will see 5,000 homes built nearby, and the impact on All Saints’ Church, Hawton, St Michael’s Church, Cotham, and Newark Parish Church.

The campaign group, South Newark Oppose Wind turbines (SNOW) collected around 300 signatures on a petition against the turbines.

Mr John Elliott, the chairman of Cotham Parish Council and a member of SNOW, said the group was aware of the inquiry.

He said: “It’s disappointing it has come to that after the district council turned the application down at its meeting.

“We hoped the decision from the council would have been enough to stop the scheme.

“We’ll be making representations at the inquiry. We think the turbines are unwelcome and have given lots of reasons why we don’t like the application.

“We hope the inquiry will take very seriously the good points made by people at the planning meeting.”

Mr Elliott said he believed the turbines would spoil the views across countryside.

He said: “I don’t recall anyone out of the people who spoke at the meeting saying it was a good idea.

“I have spoken to no one in the villages of Hawton and Cotham who thinks it’s a good idea.

“At the moment we feel slightly under siege.

“We don’t think the turbines are cost- effective and we don’t think it is appropriate for them to be there.”

Mr Elliott said he hoped the group would be able to make statements to the inquiry.

A date has not yet been set for it.