Barmoor wind farm decision will not be contested

Posted by The Journal on Feb 10, 10 09:53 AM in News

Campaigners have reluctantly ended their long-running battle to stop a wind farm being set up in Northumberland.

The Save our Unspoilt Landscape (SOUL) action group has decided against seeking a judicial review of the decision to allow six 110-metre turbines to be built at Barmoor, near Berwick.

Save Our Unspoilt Landscape members Anne Daniels, Amanda Worlock and John Daniels

Save Our Unspoilt Landscape members Anne Daniels, Amanda Worlock and John Daniels

A planning application from Catamount Energy and Force 9 Energy was first submitted to the now defunct Berwick Borough Council four years ago this month, in February 2006.

Scores of local people formed SOUL to fight the proposal fearing the turbines would ruin views of the surrounding countryside and put off visitors.

The plan was rejected by the borough council in March 2008.

However, the developers appealed and a public inquiry took place in May and June of last year.

As reported in The Journal last month, the Government gave approval for the wind farm to be built. SOUL said at the time it was considering seeking judicial review, whereby it could challenge the decision on a point of procedure but not ask for evidence to be reconsidered.

The barrister who represented the group at the inquiry scrutinised the decision report to assess whether it had any grounds for seeking review.

He came to the conclusion there was nothing SOUL could pin a challenge on.

The group's spokesman Andrew Joicey last night said: "SOUL as a group has decided that it will not be pursuing a judicial review of the decision.

"Although we have a difference of opinion on many things with the decision that the inspector and secretary of state came to, it is one that is a legal decision."

The action group will not disband despite acknowledging there is nothing it can do to stop the wind farm being built.

The Barmoor scheme was approved despite two other linked wind farm proposals being thrown out.

Projects for turbines at Toft Hill and Moorsyde were rejected at the same borough council meeting and examined at the same inquiry.

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