A PLAN to build two wind turbines on land at Beech Farm in Lamerton would bring many benefits to the local community and the environment ? that was the view of West Devon farmers Robert and Carol Bradford at a planning appeal last week. The Bradfords have appealed against a decision by West Devon Borough Council to turn down their application for two 70-metre wind turbines. The project would supply electricity to more than 1,200 homes, and be run by a local co-operative ? the Beech Farm Wind Cluster Co-operative. Mrs Bradford told planning inspector Richard Tamplin at the meeting in Tavistock Town Hall, that it would generate £5-million over its expected 25-year lifespan, including £500,000 in local labour and materials, and provide 5% of the borough council?s renewable energy requirements. She said: ?There is no suggestion that visual effects on the Dartmoor National Park, the Tamar Valley ? a designated Area of Outstanding Beauty ? Brent Tor church or the local landscape would be altered by the development.? Mrs Bradford said the turbines would not be situated on top of a hill and the visual impact would be lessened by the hill?s backdrop. She argued that the turbines would all be part of a modern visual landscape as were existing roads, radio and telephone masts and golf courses in the area. And it would not not have any detrimental effects on tourism, recreation on the nearby Brent Tor Church, she claimed. Mrs Bradford said 77% of the population liked the look of wind turbines and to presume these would ruin the visual impact of Dartmoor would be a ?sweeping statement?. But Philip Drinkwater, the barrister acting on behalf of the borough, questioned the expertise of Mrs Bradford in the area of landscape and visual impact and of those who supported her submissions to the appeal. He also suggested Mrs Bradford had ?underplayed the impact of your proposal?. Mr Drinkwater added that the applicants had no specific site data of windspeed to calculate how much electricity could be produced and therefore no proof of likely income from the turbines. Dartmoor Preservation Association is one of the main opponents of the scheme, along with the Wind Farm Lamerton Action Group. While supporting the borough council in defending the refusal, the DPA stressed that it was not anti-wind power. Jonathan Carsdale, its chief executive, said: ?The DPA supports renewable energy, including wind turbines, if they are in the right place and of an appropriate scale. ?But we will fight turbines when they threaten to intrude on the very special countryside around the edges of Dartmoor National Park. ?These two are more than half as big again as Exeter Cathedral (44m) and more than twice the size of any in Cornwall.? Angela Duigan, of Energy4All Ltd, which is supporting the co-operative, told the Times that wind turbines would reduce people?s electricity bills at a time when they had gone up by 50% in the past year. She said the project would cost £2-million to set up but the local community would buy shares, and similar projects had paid back dividends of up to 9% a year. The appeal decision will be announced at a future date.
