Campaigners call for Bradford Council strategy on wind turbines (From Ilkley Gazette)

Campaigners call for Bradford Council strategy on wind turbines

7:00am Monday 8th October 2012 in News By Marc Meneaud, Aire Valley Chief Reporter

Campaigner Anthea Orchard

A dozen separate planning applications for wind turbines in the last four months have prompted calls for Bradford Council to publish a strategy to stop the piecemeal appearance of turbines on the district’s landscape.

Campaigners are calling for the authority to clarify its thinking on the location and number of turbines that would be acceptable across the district, to prevent wind farms being created “through the back door”.

Thornton Moor Wind Farm Action Group, which is campaigning against wind farming in Bronte Country, claims the area could be reaching “saturation point” following a flurry of applications for individual or small groups of wind turbines.

Twelve applications for wind turbines have been submitted to Bradford Council in the last four months, many at moorland farms in Keighley, Bingley, Oakworth, Thornton, Steeton and Queensbury.

Campaigner Anthea Orchard, of Denholme Gate, said: “What we want is a strategy so that it is not a free-for-all. Already there are farming areas between Denholme and Thornton where we have three turbines already and another three in the pipeline. That is six turbines on the landscape which, architects have acknowledged, could be a small wind farm. If more are allowed, it could mean a large scale wind farm being allowed through the back door.”

Councillor Val Slater, Bradford Council’s executive member for planning, said: “We consider every application we receive on its merits and it is right that we do so. We are carrying out a number of studies with reference to the Local Development Framework and environmental sustainability including our views on renewable energies and this will form part of the core strategy which is already under way and is expected to be brought to Council next year.”