North East planning specialist continues growth in renewable energy with new project

North East planning specialist Hedley Planning continues to achieve strong growth for its renewable energy services after securing approval for a new wind turbine scheme.

Plans by the Hexham based firm, which recently opened a new Newcastle office, will see a 90-metre 1MW wind turbine erected on a plot of land at Thorpe-Le-Street in the East Riding of Yorkshire, as part of a repowering application under National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) guidelines.

These will allow the wind turbine operator Sellmor Farming Ltd, the current site owner and project developer, to replace the existing and older turbine with a new larger, more efficient model.

Development of the project will involve the replacement of the existing turbine with a larger one as the applicant looks to significantly reduce North Farm’s carbon footprint while enhancing onsite energy security.

The new wind turbine features the latest aerodynamic blade design and advanced control technologies to significantly boost kilowatt output through a larger rotor diameter, maximising the site’s power generating capacity.

Noise, aviation safety and ecological impact assessments were all completed as part of extensive research and planning work carried out by national planning experts Hedley Planning, which confirmed the site was suitable for a renewable energy project of this type.

Alex Franklin, senior planner at Hedley Planning, who steered the plans through for approval, said that the country is “facing an unprecedented energy crisis, so well planned renewable onshore energy projects like this scheme are contributing towards meeting the country’s clean energy needs”.

He added: “We are delighted to now have secured planning permission for this important repowering project in line with NPPF paragraph 163(c) and look forward to seeing the plans come to fruition. 

“We continue to face an energy crisis in the UK, so harnessing the wind can be one of the most efficient ways to supply clean energy for local landowners, communities and homeowners.

“The UK currently has more than 11,000 wind turbines with a total installed capacity of 30 gigawatts with a steady stream of applications coming forward as people plug into the advantages of greener energy solutions.”

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