AN appeal against West Devon Borough Council’s refusal of a wind turbine at Hatherleigh has been dismissed by the Planning Inspectorate.

Mr Jeremy Dennis had appealed the council’s refusal of the planning application for a wind turbine measuring up to 77m with ancillary equipment and associated infrastructure at Heane Farm, Runnon Moor Lane, Hatherleigh.

In the appeal decision notice, the inspector concluded: “The proposal would bring forward significant benefits in terms of the production of renewable energy and it would have economic advantages for the rural enterprise too.”

However, he went on to state ‘it would have a moderately harmful impact on landscape character and a significant detrimental effect on the living conditions’ of certain occupiers.

Penny Mills, of the Campaign to Protect Rural England in Devon, said: “The Hatherleigh turbine appeal has been dismissed, which is great news and a great relief for the local community who have been campaigning against it for such a long time.

“It really was a ‘monstrous’ proposal which would have loomed over beautiful Hatherleigh.”