Turbine sparks fears of a giant wind farm
Fears have been raised that north Shropshire is rapidly being turned into a giant wind farm after another turbine planning application was submitted.
It means at least 10 applications have been submitted for turbines in the area in the last two years.
The latest application sent to Shropshire Council is for a 150ft (46m) turbine at Kenwick Lodge Farm, in Cockshutt, near Ellesmere.
If approved it will be built just three miles away from a 150ft turbine at Shade Oak Stud, in Bagley, near Ellesmere, which was granted planning permission last week.
It will also be five miles from a 119ft (36m) turbine at Winston Farm in Tetchill, near Ellesmere.
Other recently approved applications include a 150ft turbine at Lea Hall, Ash Parva, near Whitchurch, a turbine with a 49ft (15m) mast at Laurel Villa, Weston Lullingfields, and a 74ft (22.5m) turbine at Sleap House Farm, near Harmer Hill.
A 131ft (40m) high turbine at Dandyford Farm, in Hordley, near Ellesmere, and a 164ft (50m) turbine at Oaklands Farm, in Bagley, have also been approved.
Meanwhile, plans are in the pipeline for a 427ft (130m) turbine at The Newnes, near Ellesmere. A planning application is expected to be submitted in the near future.
Brian Williams, Shropshire Councillor for The Meres, said: "This latest application is completely inappropriate and I will be asking the planning committee to seriously look at the amount of these applications coming forward.
"If we keep accepting applications for single turbines then we are soon going to have an actual wind farm.
"That is not acceptable for this rural community," he added.
Resident John Paul Jeffels, of Tetchill, said: "If another wind turbine was to be granted planning permission then this would surely make an accumulative effect in this area – it would be like living near a wind farm."
But Steve Boulding, a Green Party campaigner from near Baschurch, said: "If we don't take advantage of our renewable electricity the country will be in serious difficulties."
