Rotherham goes green with wind farm proposal

Plans for a new wind farm on land to the south east of Rotherham have been approved by the town’s Metropolitan Borough Council.

Developer Banks Developments put forward the Penny Hill proposal, which encompasses six turbines with a maximum height of 132m, to be built on land to the west of the junction of the M1 and M18.

The plans were recommended for approval by the Council’s planning officer and its planning committee backed that recommendation on 26 May.

The communities around the development will also benefit directly from its approval, with a package of initiatives being implemented which are designed to help tackle fuel poverty and to enable community groups to install other forms of renewable energy.

Phil Dyke, Managing Director of Banks Renewables, says: “We’re obviously very pleased that the Council’s planning committee have chosen to support what we strongly believe is a well-designed and thought-out proposal.

“The Penny Hill wind farm will now not only contribute significantly towards meeting the Government’s 2020 renewable energy objectives, but will also bring a range of environmental and community benefits to the surrounding area.

“The ever-more-pressing need to generate increasing amounts of renewable energy through schemes such as this is both accepted and growing, and onshore wind energy has a crucial role to play in meeting local and national energy needs over the coming decades.

“The wind farm will generate enough green energy to supply around 10,000 homes annually, equating to approximately 10% of the households in Rotherham.

“Our aim is to begin work on site as soon as possible and we will continue to work closely with local communities to keep them fully informed about the progress we’re making.”