Shipdham, Norfolk

ANOTHER PUBLIC INQUIRY

After six years of planning, two public inquiries, and an attempted High Court challenge the application to build two wind turbines at Shipdham is again in the hands of the Planning Inspectorate.

Well into its 6th year in planning (yes, really!) our application to build two turbines at Shipdham is to go back to public inquiry - it's third! But on this occasion some common sense has prevailed ... this time the inquiry will only look at one issue - that of noise.

We have been granted permission for this project in the past - back in June 2006. But the decision was challenged at the High Court, and then quashed when the Planning Inspectorate declined to defend the action, all of this on just a single ground - that the applied noise condition was "unenforceable and imprecise".

This issue, which is really just a procedural abuse, is easily resolved - Ecotricity have already revised the wording of the noise condition with the assistance of an independent acoustic consultant, and agreed a legally binding form of words with the planning authority. The inquiry will take place in the New Year, chaired by the same inspector as before.

"We've been through a process no less arduous or expensive than if we had applied to build a nuclear power station - and all for two wind turbines, its crazy" said Dale Vince, MD Ecotricity

The project has overwhelming support amongst the local community, Breckland Councils own survey of local people showed over 90% of residents support wind turbines. The two proposed 65-metre high turbines will generate enough electricity to power over 2,500 local homes and provide up to 12% of Norfolk's renewable energy target. One day.

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