Council to vote on wind turbines

An artist's impression of the turbines in the Marshland setting

A meeting is being held to discuss the future of a controversial wind farm in Norfolk.

Councillors from King's Lynn and West Norfolk will debate the plans on 21 January before the government makes a final decision.

More than 300 people have objected and only five were in favour of the 19 wind turbines near Marshland St James.

The borough council's vote is not binding but will influence the final decision on the 460ft high turbines.

The proposals have created division within the West Norfolk communities of Marshland St James, Tilney St Lawrence and Stow Bardolph.

Some of the farmers who belong to the consortium submitting the plans earlier received anonymous threatening letters, but police could not find the culprits.

A test mast was cut down in May 2007, but a police investigation failed to find those behind this act which was described at the time as an act by "rural terrorists".

Detailed Consultations

Planning Officers at King's Lynn and West Norfolk Borough Council are recommending a vote against the plans.

The chairman of the anti-wind turbine campaign group Lyndon Mason said of the planning officers advice: " We're very pleased they're recommending that the council should object to it for a number of reasons including landscape, noise and visual impact."

Previously a spokeswoman for the developers said: "The application is the culmination of detailed consultations with residents and assessments of how the proposed development could impact on the local area.

"Taking into account cultural and heritage, ecological, and social and economic factors it was found that the development would have little or no detrimental impact on the Marshland area of Norfolk."

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