AN ENERGY company has announced that it is withdrawing an appeal against the decision of three Hampshire councils to refuse planning permission for a wind farm.
In June last year the planning committees of Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council, Winchester City Council, and Test Valley Borough Council turned down EDF Energy Renewables' application to build the wind farm at Bullington Cross, where the A303 and A34 dual carriageways intersect.
The scheme would have provided enough electricity for 15,000 homes.
In a statement released today, EDF Energy Renewables said: "After reviewing the scheme in the light of recent Government announcements on onshore wind, the company has told the Government's planning inspectorate that it will not be proceeding with the appeal hearing scheduled for later this year."
The Government announced in June that 250 planned onshore wind farms were likely to be cancelled because of an early end to subsidies, while new onshore wind farms will be excluded from a subsidy scheme from April 1, 2016 - a year earlier than expected.
EDF's plans involved the development of a 14 turbine, 28 MW wind farm on agricultural land.
It was rejected because councillors believed that Bullington Cross was not the right site for a wind farm, and surveys found legally protected bats and dormice living in and around the site.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here