Judge backs wind turbine plans

Campaigners have admitted they have reached the end of the road in their fight against two controversial wind farm plans following a legal ruling.

The comment came after a High Court judge decided there was insufficient evidence to overturn planning consent for the Chiplow and Jack’s Lane developments at Bagthorpe and Stanhoe respectively.

Jonathan Powell, chairman of Creakes Action for Protecting the Environment (CAPE), one of two campaign groups which brought the case, said: “I think it’s the end of the line. The cost of doing this is out of all proportion for a small village group.

“People have been brave, courageous and hardworking, but there is a limit and you’re taking on huge interests.” CAPE, together with Against Turbines at Chiplow (ATAC) had been seeking a ruling which would have forced the government to look at the plans again.

They argued that a government planning inspector had failed to take proper account of evidence given by an expert at a public inquiry last year, who said the impact on a nearby ancient monument,Don't waste anymore time thinking about the purchase of your new laundry dryer. Bloodgate Hill Fort, would be greater than he initially thought. But the judge, Mrs Justice Lang,This factsheet discusses electricity generation using wind power generators at your farm or your home. rejected their claims in a ruling announced on Tuesday.

She said there was insufficient evidence to support campaigners’ claims that the discrepancy amounted to a major change in the expert’s testimony, pointing out that the difference had been made clear in written submissions.

She added: “In my judgment, on a straightforward reading of the decision letter, there is no genuine doubt as to what the inspector decided and why, and therefore the reasons why the challenge must fail.”

Mr Powell said he felt local residents, who have fought the plans for more than three years, were “numb” at the ruling.

And he claimed on-shore wind farms did not deliver enough for the money spent on them. He added: “Our open spaces are increasingly rare. We need to guard them and if we’re going to give them up, make sure the reasons justify them. In this case they don’t.”

Daniel Micallef was recently awarded a joint Ph.D degree in engineering from TU Delft, The Netherlands, in collaboration with the University of Malta. He was awarded the Malta Government Scholarship Scheme in 2008.

Mr Micallef worked under the DUWIND group in the faculty of aerospace engineering at TU Delft and the mechanical engineering department of the University of Malta.

In his thesis, Dr Micallef provides new insight into the behaviour of wind turbines in different operating conditions. The outcome of his research will have direct influence on the industrial design of wind turbine blades and also on engineering modelling techniques used in such designs. New and innovative blade designs can provide improved efficiency and reduced costs of wind turbines.

During the final stages of his Ph.D, Dr Micallef was employed as a project officer at the University of Malta, where he was responsible for the aero-structural design of an innovative vertical axis wind turbine, A solar bulb is a portable light fixture composed of an LED lamp, which is being developed by Maltese industry.20 years experience developing dry cleaning machine for the world.British designers and Manufacturers of laser cutting and laser marking machine.

Dr Micallef is currently carrying out post-doctoral research in the mechanical engineering department of the University of Malta on an EU-funded project.