Planning permission for wind turbines, after Newcastle Airport radar upgrade
14.08.08
A drugs company has been given the green light to erect two giant wind turbines aimed at slashing energy costs and safeguarding employment at its 400-job Northumberland factory. However, the turbines can only be built after the radar system at Newcastle Airport has been upgraded to deal with the interference they will cause.
Following a public inquiry, a Government planning inspector has approved the application by Merck Sharp and Dohme (MSD) to erect the 130m-high windmills at its Cramlington plant. The turbines will allow the company to generate its own renewable power and ensure jobs are safeguarded through increased efficiency.
However, inspector Graham Self has ruled that they cannot be built until Newcastle Airport has successfully completed an upgrade to its air traffic control radar systems, aimed at tackling potential interference caused by the two turbines. The upgrade – which is still being developed and trialled – involves installing new software to create an area on the radar that ‘blacks out’ unwanted images generated by the turbines.
Airport officials have also stressed that the measures will only be effective on a limited basis, and will not provide a catch-all solution to the scores of potential wind farm schemes it is currently facing across the region.
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