Projects

South Sharpley
Wind Project

The latest information can be found here
Contact the development team here

Proposed location

South Sharpley Farm, near Seaham, County Durham

Background to the site at South Sharpley

Cornwall Light and Power is applying for planning permission to install three wind turbines on land at South Sharpley Farm. The proposed wind farm would provide enough clean, emissions-free electricity to power 4,850 homes and would contribute 7.5 megawatts (MW).

Cornwall Light & Power currently operates two wind turbines at nearby High Sharpley Farm which started generating power in February 2007. With a new scheme at South Sharpley, even more households could benefit from renewable electricity.

Facts and Figures

The proposed wind farm development at South Sharpley would bring with it a number of key benefits:

7.5 megawatts of installed renewable energy capacity
enough clean, emissions-free electricity to power the equivalent of 4,850 local homes
economic benefits for the local area during the construction process, including the creation of new jobs
a considerate and carefully designed wind project which the local community can be proud of

Figure for numbers of households potentially served based on Government figures for average household consumption. Future changes in the power generation mix and fuel costs in the UK mean that the CO2 figure may change over time.

Latest information

December 2009

Durham County Council's planning committee considered Cornwall Light & Power's proposals on 22 December 2009 and decided to reject the planning application.

Commenting on the decision, Bob Morgan, Development Manager at Cornwall Light and Power, said: “We continue to believe that this site is well-suited for a wind power development, given the strong wind resource in the region and success of other wind farms in the area. In fact, this site could produce enough energy to power another 4,850 local homes.

“Throughout the process we’ve been careful to canvass the opinions of the community and local stakeholders. In response to the feedback we’ve received we have adapted our proposal significantly, reducing the total number of turbines proposed from nine to just three as well as undertaking research to ensure that local wildlife such as bats, voles and Great Crested Newts will not be adversely affected.

“Despite today’s decision, we remain optimistic that we can work with the local community to find a solution that the majority find acceptable. We now be exploring the available options before deciding what action to take in the New Year and will of course ensure that the local community is updated in due course.”

May 2008

Cornwall Light & Power has revised its plans following the public exhibition held in Seaton Village on 12th March.

The new application has been lodged with Easington District Council.

A non-technical summary for the new application can be downloaded from here.

The development team welcomes the views of local people - contact details can be found here.