Conservative County Council Sets Out Its Position On Wind Turbine Applications

Conservative controlled Staffordshire County Council has said that wind farms should not be located in areas where they would damage the Staffordshire landscape or its economy, the county council’s environment leader has said.

In a report to be considered by cabinet on October 17, Mark Winnington says wind farm applications should be refused unless they can demonstrate real benefits to people living in the areas around them.

He adds that the county council’s position on wind turbine applications should also include the recommendation that large-scale wind energy developments should be 2km or further from residential areas.

County councillor Winnington said, “Staffordshire has some outstanding landscapes and architectural landmarks which cannot be compromised by large scale wind energy developments.  Similarly, we do not want to see them anywhere where they could have a detrimental impact on the local economy, particularly our ever-expanding tourism industry.

“We understand the need for renewable energy sources and that wind turbines contribute to lowering carbon emissions.  However they need to be in the right locations and have proper assessments and checks carried out during the planning process.

“Staffordshire is a predominantly rural county and we do not want to see the industrialisation of areas through such developments.  The local economy and improving people’s quality of life are top priorities for the county council and we don’t want to see them negatively impacted upon as a result of wind turbine developments.”

You can read the full report here