Turbine 'would be visible for many miles'
SUPERMARKET giant ASDA has admitted a massive wind turbine it wants to build at its Northampton distribution depot might be visible as far away as Wellingborough.
The Chronicle & Echo first revealed ASDA’s plans to build a 417ft wind turbine at its Brackmills depot in May.
The company wants the turbine, which would be exactly the same size as the Express Lifts Tower, to help power its distribution centre.
But latest plans submitted by the company to the West Northamptonshire Development Corporation (WNDC) revealed the massive structure could in theory be seen all across Northampton, and as far away as Wellingborough and Long Buckby.
David Hurst, who is a member of Great Houghton Parish Council, which has opposed the plans, felt the height of the turbine made it unsuitable for the area.
He said: “My personal view is yes, we need to do something about global warming and how we produce energy, but my worry is the size of this turbine.
“It’s going to be very big and it’s close to people’s houses.
“The parish council is saying it’s too big and it’s too close. We don’t think it’s the right place for such a thing.”
But in documents submitted with their planning application for the turbine, ASDA said its location in the company’s staff car park meant it would not damage the area.
The firm’s application stated: “The balance of securing energy generation against issues of visual amenity is inevitable in cases involving wind turbines, where it is acknowledged that these can exert a visual influence across the landscape.
“However this proposal, rather than the more typical rural wind farm site, is sited in an industrial/commercial area where visual and landscape issues are of lower concern.”
The WNDC is expected to make a final decision on whether the wind turbine can be built later this year.
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Weather for Northampton
Saturday 04 February 2012
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Temperature: -1 C to 1 C
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