WEST Devon planners will be visiting the site of a controversial windfarm proposal in the Den Brook Valley before they consider the application at the end of January. A site inspection will give members of the borough council?s planning committee a chance to gauge the visual impact of nine 120-metre high wind turbines from various locations and any potential effect on the amenity of local residents. The planning application by Renewable Energy Systems UK has sparked a huge campaign of opposition. The Den Brook Valley Action Group was set up to fight the plans and 2,865 letters of objection have been submitted to the council. Dartmoor National Park has opposed the scheme, saying the wind turbines would be clearly visible from locations in the national park. Their presence would be a prominent feature and would detract from the enjoyment of the area, said the authority. The opponents said the whole area of the valley from Bow to North Tawton was rich in archaeological remains as well as having more than 200 listed buildings. Action group members said that Government planning guidance described archaeological remains as a ?finite? resource which should not be needlessly destroyed. In Roman times the valley was the location of an important military complex which is yet to be the subject of an exploration. Borough Council planning officer Jane Green said members of the planning committee would be given a map of archaeological elements in that area that were known about at the site meeting. The site contains six nature reserves and a wildlife site and the route of a Roman road also crosses the site. The nearest properties were between 713 and 887 metres away. Sixty letters of support for the application have been received by the planning authority. The Devon Association for Renewable Energy says a windfarm at Den Brook would produce a significant amount of clean cheap energy, could boost the tourist trade and provide benefits to the local economy. Friends of the Earth said there was a need to tackle climate change and other technologies were years from maturity. It refuted objections based on noise, viability, impact on the countryside, tourism and property prices.
