Planning row (From Warrington Guardian)

Wind turbine planning row

1:00pm Thursday 11th August 2011 in Stretton

RESIDENTS say planning officers at the council are too close to developers after a bid to erect a wind turbine in Stretton was pulled at the last minute.

The application for the 25m high turbine to be sited at Walnut Tree Farm on Northwich Road in the village was due to be discussed at a meeting last month.

But it was withdrawn little more than an hour before the meeting was due to take place after objectors found evidence that the effect of the noise from the structure could not properly be calculated.

And in an e-mail between the planning officer Michael Davies and applicant’s agent Sally Bowdler, sent less than two hours before the meeting, he promises to offer ‘the help’ of the council in re-submitting the plans.

Now residents say they will complain about the conduct.

A spokesman for Warrington Borough Council said: “The application was withdrawn before the meeting of the council’s planning applications sub-committee on 14 July.

“There is no live application for this site currently with us.

“The applicant may re-submit in the future, in which case it will be considered as a fresh application.”