Aug 20 2010
Farmer Reg Wareing has put the South Ribble Council in a quandary with his application to construct an 85-feet wind turbine to supply electricity to his farm located away from Dunkirk Lane in Leyland.
The wind mill application is nicknamed as Leyland’s answer to the Angel of the North, which is another proposal for a wind turbine that is 20 feet smaller than the present one. The earlier proposal is also yet to receive the approval of the council.
Wareing defended his application saying that he is more interested in green energy production and protecting the environment. According to him, the proposed wind mill will incorporate a turbine of 60 feet and propellers, taking its total height to 85 feet. He substantiated the height of the turbine saying that his place is quite isolated and the turbine can be viewed easily.
The city councilors are in a fix because of the enormous height of the wind turbine and its close proximity to the Blackpool airport and Warton airfield, which requires clearing from the authorities. Michael Green, the local councilor, said that though the council appreciates the applied environmental factors, it is equally worried about the issues such as noise and visual impact that the construction can create. He also expressed his doubt about the economical practicality of the wind farm considering the present availability of wind energy. The final decision over the wind farm is expected to be delivered by the council at the end of September this year.