West Dorset District Council refuses planning permission for Slyer's Lane wind farm

Broadview is disappointed with the decision of West Dorset District Council to refuse planning permission for Slyer’s Lane wind farm. The planning application was accompanied by a thorough and robust environmental statement which demonstrated that the site struck the right balance between minimising harm to the environment, and maximising the amount of renewable energy the wind farm could produce.

If the planning application had been approved it would have had the potential to generate enough renewable electricity to meet the annual needs of approximately 86% of Dorchester’s population. In doing so, the proposal would also have made a valuable contribution toward local and legally binding national targets for the purpose of increasing renewable energy supply, tackling climate change and improving the UK’s energy security.

There was notably no objection from one of the hosting parish councils Charminster Parish Council or the Town Council of Dorchester. As made evident throughout the application process, the proposal also benefited from an unprecedented level of local support for a development of this nature. Owing to changes in Government support we consider the proposal represented one of the last opportunities to secure a significant local renewable energy supply for the foreseeable future.