Lotus gets the green light ... AGAIN!

12 November 2009

It took longer than we hoped and three days at the High Court, but the Judge has finally made a ruling on the High Court challenge lodged against the planning approval for our Lotus Wind Park.

He has rightly thrown out the arguments presented by those against the wind turbines at Lotus, and determined that the decision made by South Norfolk Council to approve this application back in July 2008 was wholly legal. We can now finally get on and build this groundbreaking project.

Dale Vince, MD of Ecotricity said:

“This decision is a graphic demonstration of how ridiculous the planning system for onshore wind energy is in the UK. The project was approved by a forward-looking South Norfolk local council, which is pretty rare itself these days - but was then subjected to what is in my opinion an abuse of process, a speculative legal challenge, costing tens of thousands of public money and wasted time.

“It's ironic that this should be concluded in the same week that the government again announces plans to make planning consent for nuclear power stations much easier. The UK is facing an energy crunch ten to fifteen years from now, projects like this one are essential to tackle that issue and Climate Change - but the planning system for onshore wind energy in the UK just isn't fit for purpose. We’ve now been through a process for three wind turbines that’s more arduous and time consuming than one a nuclear power station will have to be- how can that make sense?

“We can now get on with the real job of getting these turbines up and running, powering the Lotus factory 100% from local wind energy: exactly the kind of positive thinking the UK needs right now.”