THERE was uproar and disbelief at the Cornwall Council Strategic Planning Committee meeting on Tuesday, October 13, after officers voted to approve plans for a wind farm at Davidstow.

It was standing room only as a large number of objectors and supporters of the plans crowded into the council chamber in Camelford to hear the controversial proposals discussed.

The three applications that went before the committee were:

● A proposal for 20 80/126.5 metre turbines with a potential total power output of 50MW at Davidstow;

● A proposal for 4 46/71 metre turbines with a potential power output of 3.2MW at Otterham; and

● A proposal for a single additional turbine (46/71 metres) and an output of 0.8MW, also at Otterham.

The Davidstow proposal was previously refused by the East Cornwall Planning Committee and there was a recommendation to the Strategic Planning Committee to also turn down the plans.

But after hearing from a number of speakers — both in favour and against the windfarm — members of the committee voted to approve the erection of the windfarm at Davidstow Woods.

The approval was subject to the air traffic control and bird mitigation being rectified.

Julie Dowton spoke on behalf of Davidstow Parish Council and raised issues surrounding the wildlife and the effect a windfarm would have on the wildlife and starlings each winter.

"That's such a special display and obviously that will be lost."

She also raised concern over the visual impact on a unique landscape, and noted that the area was an important military training area, which was also used for parachute and helicopter training.

Julie said that the moor was an 'aqua flow' which holds a water supply, so pouring a large amount of concrete into the ground could disturb this and lead to flooding.

The disturbance of peat, as a result of the works, could also release large amounts of gases into the atmosphere.

"It just appears to be crazy," Julie told the 'Post.' "From a parish point of view, this is not a community windfarm. The community haven't been involved with this and they're insulted that the developer is making it out to be a community project."

Davidstow was one of the six parish council that raised objection to the plans. Camelford Town Council also objected, as did the majority of statutory bodies consulted.

"The objections are very sound. It's not about being anti- renewable energy. We all have a part to play, but it has to be the right project in the right place. To pick Bodmin Moor is just crazy."

The decision to approve the windfarm shocked and dismayed the objectors, who had hoped the committee would go with the recommendation to turn down the application.

Julie added: "Everybody was really shocked, considering that the East Cornwall Planning actually rejected the application. The recommendation of the planning officer was to refuse and along with Natural England, English Heritage and the AONB (Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty) all objecting, it should not have gone through. It just puts a big question mark over local democracy."

Objectors have not given up yet, as Julie continued: "It's not over. The various groups are looking at what legal action can be taken to prevent this going through. We're just looking to see what options are available and my understanding is there are several, so we will wait and see.

"It was a blow but there's some hope that action can be taken to overturn this decision."

The decision has also been "deplored" by the Open Spaces Society.

The society, Britain's oldest national conservation body, is dismayed that Cornwall County Councillors have overturned the advice of their officers and have approved plans to build 20 wind turbines, each 126.5-metres high, at Davidstow Wood.

For the full report, see this week's 'Post'.