Norfolk Fens wind farm considered

Ministers are considering granting planning permission for a proposed 19-turbine wind farm in Norfolk.

The Marshland Wind Farm, proposed by German developers Notus Energy, will generate 57 megawatts (MW) from a site near Marshland St James.

According to the developers, the site was chosen in part because of a 2007 report by Arup and Partners, which concluded that the north-west of Norfolk is the best place to site wind turbines for maximum returns in the region.

Notus Energy also cites the fact that no insurmountable issues were raised by the 50 organisations that were consulted as part of the scoping study.

Although the 3MW turbines will each be 139 metres tall to the tip, the company claims that this will not be an issue as according to the Campaign to Protect Rural England, the site is already in an area disturbed by visual intrusion.

Plans for the wind farm were scaled down from an original 26-turbine proposal following the withdrawal of landowner members of the consortium.

If it goes ahead, the wind farm will generate enough electricity for the equivalent of 28,000 homes.