The Planning Application

Quick Summary

Plans which could result in a Wind Turbine Power Station at the foot of Bickerton Hill were threatening one of Cheshire’s finest landscapes.

A developer, Banks Developments, applied for planning permission to erect a 60 metre Wind Monitoring Mast on land off Long Lane, at Bickerton. The application requested permission to install the mast for a period of up to three years to monitor wind conditions.

SBWT believed that this application was merely a precursor to a second application to erect a number of industrial wind turbines at the site, which SBWT believes would have a devastating impact upon the local environment, and which may be over 120 metres in height, as tall as Bickerton Hill itself and visible for miles and miles around.

Crewe and Nantwich Borough Council rejected the developers application on 7^th  February 2008, citing the following grounds:

 “The Local Planning Authority considers that the proposed development by reason of its siting and height of 60m would be visually intrusive in this rural area and would therefore be harmful to the character and appearance of the adjacent Areas of Special County Value. As such the proposal would be contrary to Policies NE.2 (Open Countryside), NE.3 (Areas of Special County Value) and NE.19 (Renewable Energy) of the Borough of Crewe and Nantwich Replacement Local Plan 2011.”

The developer has now appealed against this decision to the Planning Inspectorate.

The appeal, lodged on 17^th April 2008 is a written appeal, as opposed to a public hearing. The appeal process will take approximately 20 weeks to be completed.

You can learn more about this process by clicking on the link below:

http://www.planning-inspectorate.gov.uk/pins/appeals/planning_appeals/guide_taking_part_appeal_r120.pdf

SBWT has engaged an experienced and professional team of planning consultants to review the appeal and advise us on the best strategy to help fight this appeal.

We will continue to inform our supporters though these pages and by email, so please do join our Email Group so we can keep you personally informed.

Where is the Mast to be Located?

Below is satellite image showing the proposed location of the mast.

To see approximately where the developers have applied to locate the wind monitoring mast, and where we believe they plan to locate future wind turbines please click here to download a Powerpoint presentation, or click here to download a PDF of the presentation.