Broadview

< Back to all project news 18 Mar 2011 - Starbold Planning Inspector gives the go ahead for meteorological mast

Broadview Energy, the developer behind the proposed Starbold wind farm, is pleased that a Government Inspector has upheld an appeal and approved plans for the erection of a meteorological mast on land between Knightcote and Bishop’s Itchington in Warwickshire.   The mast, which comprises a steel tubular pole measuring 30 centimetres in diameter and 60 metres in height, will be used to measure wind speed and wind direction for a period of two years. 

Broadview lodged the appeal after Stratford-on-Avon’s planning committee refused planning permission for the mast, despite its officer’s recommendations that the application be approved.  The application which was the subject of the appeal was a resubmission of an earlier application that was refused by the planning committee and a Government Inspector in June of last year because of concerns over the mast’s proximity to hedgerows and the potential for birds to collide with its guy wires.  As a result of these findings, Broadview redesigned the scheme and resubmitted its application, moving the mast further away from hedgerows to protect bats, and proposing the attachment of a number of bird deflectors on the mast’s guy wires to help birds avoid any potential collision. 
 
Olly Buck, Project Manager for Broadview Energy said; “After our initial proposal was rejected last year, we worked hard to address the concerns raised by the previous Inspector.  We are therefore pleased that the changes to the scheme have been accepted and that the Inspector agrees with us that this is an appropriate location for a meteorological mast.  We will now look to erect the mast on site in the coming weeks.”

Notes to editors:

• Broadview Energy Limited www.broadviewenergy.com develops wind energy projects in the United Kingdom that generate clean, sustainable energy. Broadview takes projects from site identification, through the planning process, to construction and then to operation. The company’s first wind farm (near Aberdeen) entered operation in January 2010. Broadview has a number of other projects at various stages of the development process throughout the United Kingdom.
• More information on the Starbold wind farm can be obtained via the dedicated project website: www.starboldwindfarm.co.uk

For media enquiries, please contact:
Lisa Ross at Broadview Energy Limited (lross@broadviewenergy.com / 020 7268 9910).