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We are delighted that Eric Pickles, the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, has called in the planning application for three wind-turbines near Killington Reservoir in Cumbria (near junction 37 on the M6 motorway) —the gateway to the Lake District and the Western Fells of the Yorkshire Dales.
South Lakeland District Council approved the application, against the officer’s recommendation, last month.
The Open Spaces Society, FELLS (Friends of Eden, Lakeland and Lunedale Scenery), the Friends of the Lake District and the Yorkshire Dales Society wrote to the Secretary of State urging him to call the matter in because of its far-reaching, national implications. The site is adjacent to the Yorkshire Dales and Lake District National Parks, it would destroy the view of the Howgills from the M6 motorway, and the issues concerning the application are complex and were not given proper consideration by the council.
In the letter on behalf of Mr Pickles, Mr Gerry Carpenter says that the Secretary of State is very selective about calling in planning applications, but he has done so here because ‘he considers that the proposal concerns matters that may conflict with national policies on important matters; could have significant effects beyond their immediate locality and give rise to substantial cross-boundary controversy’.
This is wonderful news and is a fitting decision for this outstanding, nationally-valued landscape. The turbines would ruin the breath-taking views in an area which is extremely popular for quiet recreation.
We are delighted that the Secretary of State has seen fit to call this matter in.