Villagers celebrate as planning appeal for £15m Litlington wind farm dropped
An appeal lodged after plans for a five-turbine wind farm in Littlington were turned down has also been rejected - Credit: Archant
Campaigners say common sense has prevailed after plans for a five-turbine wind farm in a village were shelved.
The planning application for the wind farm at Highfield Farm near Litlington was turned down by South Cambridgeshire District Council in February.
The developers of the site, Highfield Wind Energy, had launched an appeal against the decision, but this has now been dropped.
The district council’s planning committee had voted 12 to one against the scheme, which had been opposed by villagers as well as Litlington Parish Council and Royston Town Council.
Councillor Robert Turner, the district council’s cabinet member for planning, said: “I’m pleased the energy firm has chosen to drop the appeal.
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“We considered the merits of the application in full and believe it would have had considerable impact on the landscape at this historic location.
“It is important to remember the decision to drop the appeal does not stop them submitting a revised application in the future. If this is the case we will, of course, carry out consultation with all interested parties and look at it on its merits.”
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Initially submitted in March 2012, the application would have seen six turbines, each 100 metres high, built at a cost of up to £15 million.
Highfield Wind Energy said they would have generated enough renewable energy to power 5,000 homes, but their plans angered villagers, who launched the Stop Litlington Wind Farm campaign in protest.
In a statement on its website, the group said: “We would like to thank everyone for their invaluable contribution in opposing this application – it seems that common sense has finally prevailed.”
Royston Town Council has also repeatedly expressed its opposition to the plans, citing the impact the pylons would have had on the views from Therfield Heath, with the conservators of the heath and Therfield Parish Council also voicing concerns.
