A NEW wind turbine is set to be created in the region while another will not be built.


Members of Flintshire Council’s planning and development control committee yesterday  voted in favour of the turbine at West Coast Energy on Mold Business Park.


The turbine’s approval coincided with an announcement that a separate application for a turbine to be created at Bryn Hedydd, Trelogan, had been withdrawn by the applicants.


Mold resident Geoff Collett spoke against the Mold application, which is due to be 25 metres to the hub height and will have an additional 10m further projection to the blades.


Mr Collett said there was concern from residents of neighbouring streets about the visual impact and a potential “shadow flicker” effect from the structure on the neighbouring community.


He added there were worries about noise levels for residents from the turbine.
“I appeal to the committee to reject this application as the siting of the turbine here will seriously affect the local residents,” he said.


Chris Thomas, agent for West Coast Energy Ltd who spoke in support of the application, told the meeting applicants had worked to ensure visual and noise impact would be minimal.


Mr Thomas said the applicants had an environmental ethos and they wished to provide their own power.


Several councillors raised concerns about setting potential precedents by approving the application.


Mold councillor Robin Guest believed a lot of similar applications could follow, while Queensferry Cllr David Wisinger said he felt the “floodgates could open” as a result of approval.


Planning officer Declan Beggan responded by saying he did not believe precedents would be set by granting approval.


“This wouldn’t set a precedent,” he said. “We look at them on their own basis.”


The application received a mixture of responses from the public, with five letters or emails in support and nine speaking against.


Members arrived at the meeting to discover the other planned turbine in Trelogan, applied for by Mrs E. Parker, had been withdrawn.


No reasons were given for the withdrawal of the application which had been recommended for refusal by planning officers.


The application was for one wind turbine with a hub height of four metres and an additional four metres projection.


In her report to the council planning officer Barbara Kinnear wrote: “The potential noise levels of the proposed turbine are likely to result in significant noise disturbance and would therefore be detrimental to the amenity of nearby residents.”