The Appeal Decision by the Planning Inspectorate refusing planning permission for the North Dover wind farm is available at:
http://www.doverdc.co.uk/pdf/0701148ad.pdf
This makes very interesting reading. I read through the original planning application submitted by Ecotricity and thought that it seemed impressively comprehensive. However, this detailed decision document makes it plain that Ecotricity failed lamentably to follow up and provide reassurance in more than one key aspect.
The inquiry into this green issue was conducted by the appropriately named Mr. Lavender and he has done an impressively thorough job resulting in an extremely intelligent and balanced appraisal. The country needs more Mr. Lavenders.
I was opposed to this wind farm from the start primarily on the basis that it seemed so unfair that people living happily and peacefully in beautiful countryside should have these immense structures forced upon them purely to satisfy the illfounded belief of others that this was an essential measure in combatting climate change. All the indications are that it is nothing of the sort.
Needless to say, the Nimbies rose as one and fought tooth and nail to prevent this monstrous affliction from happening. Nimbies know what they are talking about, Nimbies do the research, Nimbies are the backbone defending this green and pleasant land from the depradations of despoilers, Nimbies are good, treasure your local Nimbies.
Mr. Lavender took into account all the obvious objections regarding visual intrusion, shadow flicker, noise, etc, etc, but there was one item quite apart from these which he considered ruled out any possibility of granting planning permission. This was the potential interference with the Air Traffic Control radar at Manston Airport. Ecotricity was fully aware of this but, amazingly, had done nothing to address the issue and pursue any possible mitigation of the problem. They deserved to lose, and lose they did.
Without going into the technicalities, wind farms cause a "black hole" around and above them when viewed on ATC radar. The controllers are therefore required to route aircraft so that they pass at least five nautical miles from the wind farm as they cannot say with any certainty that light aircraft or gliders are not present. The Dover VOR (VHF Omni-Directional Range) navigational radiobeacon lies less than two miles from the edge of the wind farm, sitting in a field just outside St.Margarets (see photo). This is a focal point for all aircraft transiting the area, including 95% of the jet airliners approaching and departing Manston. The juxtaposition of the wind farm and the VOR rendered Ecotricity's plans unacceptable on the grounds of compromising air safety and Mr. Lavender was forthright in his criticism of their seeming indifference to this matter.
