Anti-turbine councillors fall back on procedure

Despite planning officers' recommendations to back the scheme, plans for seven wind turbines have been deferred by councillors at South Holland Council.

Developers RES want to build the seven-turbine wind farm between Tydd St Mary and Long Sutton in Lincolnshire. Councillors argued that they needed more time to consider the council's supplementary planning guidance on wind farms that classifies whether an area is suitable for wind farm development.

It is intended that supplementary guidance produced by local authorities should be weighed up against other considerations such as the national requirement for renewable energy.

An independent telephone poll commissioned by RES and undertaken by Populus in October 2009 indicates that 77% of local people back the plans for the wind farm.