Decision delayed for wind turbine in historic valley
A decision on a wind turbine in a valley that holds 2,000 years of history has been delayed so English Heritage can examine the proposal.
Opponents of the scheme say a 21st-century turbine would deface the spot near Humbleton at Wooler.
The National Park promotes the valley as ‘a four-mile walk through time, taking you from Wooler to the top of Humbleton Hill, through more than 2,000 years of our past’.
The Tait family’s proposal for green energy at their Highburn House Holiday Park has drawn 37 letters of objection and four of support.
It was due to be determined by Northumberland County Council’s planning committee at Morpeth last Tuesday night.
But it was dropped from the agenda because English Heritage said it wanted to comment.
It did not have to be consulted by the county council, but had been alerted to the application by objectors.
It was recommended for approval.
The county’s conservationists said the site was within a kilometre of 31 listed buildings and Wooler Conservation Area.
But the lie of the land and screening by buildings meant it would not harm these.
Supporters said it would make the holiday park carbon-neutral, would be quiet and cause no harm to birds.
Some said local electricty pylons were much more intrusive examples of the power industry.
Objectors Paul and Eileen Lyons set out the history of the ‘deeply sensitive and tranquil historical area’, including a national footpath tracing the footsteps of St Cuthbert and the origins of Christianity, an Iron Age hill fort and the site of the Battle of Homildon Hill, ‘where so many were slaughtered in 1402’.
Email to a friend
Print this page
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Northumberland
Sunday 19 May 2013
Today
Cloudy
Temperature: 9 C to 13 C
Wind Speed: 13 mph
Wind direction: North
Tomorrow
Cloudy
Temperature: 9 C to 15 C
Wind Speed: 14 mph
Wind direction: North
