Opposition to Litlington wind farm plans
Artist's impression of how the Litlington wind farm would look from the A505 - Credit: Archant
PLANS to build five 100 metre tall wind turbines in Crow country have been given the thumbs down by protesters and councillors.
More details about the scheme, which is being proposed for Highfield Farm in Litlington, were released last week, with South Cambridgeshire District Council set to make a decision at their upcoming planning meeting.
Villagers opposed to the project formed the Stop Litlington Wind Farm campaign when the turbines were first mooted last year.
Phil Jones, from the campaign group, said: “The details we have been given now suggest it is more troubling than we first thought.
“The additional visualisation makes it look even bigger, it gives a very unfavourable impression of the way it will look.
“We maintain that this low lying land isn’t the obvious place to put a wind farm.”
Members of Royston Town Council’s planning committee voted to reiterate their opposition to the scheme at their meeting on Monday, despite some councillors coming out in favour of the plan.
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Cllr F John Smith said: “This application is for a fairly unremarkable piece of ground, and as far as I can gather won’t interfere with the views of Therfield Heath or the view from the heath.
“It might even make the view a bit more interesting.”
The wind farm, which would cost between £10million and £15million, could generate enough energy to power 5,000 homes.
Cllr John Davison said: “This will have an effect on Royston, it will be visible in Royston, and unfortunately we are in a very difficult position because another district is going to make a decision which will have an effect on us. I have the strongest objection to this plan.”
And Cllr Marguerite Phillips added: “The people in Litlington don’t want it and the benefits of wind farms are questionable anyway.”
Farmer Ralph Parker is developing the farm in conjunction with renewable energy consultants Engena.
Speaking to the Crow last year, Mr Parker said: “I think we have a good site and it is near to where a lot of energy is used.
“I take the opposite view to the protestors, it will have an impact as in they will see them but that’s as far as it goes.
“From my farm I can see Johnson Matthey and the chalk pit at Steeple Morden, and the railway and the road. I say it’s a very small price to pay for green energy.”
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