CAMPAIGNERS are celebrating after developers scrapped plans for a wind farm in the Cheshire countryside.
Cornwall Light and Power have decided to pull the plug on their bid to build three 125m wind turbines at Oxheys Farm, Rushton, near Tarporley.
Members of Cheshire Against Rural Turbines had already seen NPower’s previous proposals for the site withdrawn in 2005, and now they’re celebrating again after the Cornish firm opted against submitting a planning application.
Eddisbury MP Stephen O’Brien praised the ‘tremendous’ work of the community in standing up against what he described as an ‘unjustified attack’ on the area’s countryside.
He added: “I’m absolutely delighted that the application has been withdrawn. This has been found to be completely unviable for the second time. What more proof do we need that land-based wind turbines are not right for our area?”
Wettenhall resident Andrew Morton, who sat on a community liaison group who met with the developers to voice their opposition, said: “We’re delighted common sense has prevailed.
“It’s a huge relief to everyone concerned. It is only a marginal wind area and would have had a detrimental effect on the environment.”
In a letter sent to affected homeowners, project developer Sophie Hartfield confirmed the Truro-based firm were pulling the plug on their plans and thanked residents for their feedback.
She said: “Developing onshore wind farms is an extremely complex business with very many different factors to take into account.
“We have conducted comprehensive technical surveys of the site at Oxheys Farm near Eaton and have decided not to progress this project through to a planning application.”
