UPDATED: City councillors to decide on plan for turbine at Sparsholt College

City councillors are being urged by their officers to scupper the turbine on farmland when the planning committee meets on Thursday.

Nearly 120 people have written to the council to object to the scheme. There have been 204 letters of support.

The turbine would be white and the height of a 25-storey building, says the Hampshire branch of the Campaign to Protect Rural England.

Sparsholt Parish Council also objects saying the college has failed to consult properly. “The impact cannot be mitigated in any way,” it said in a council report.

Crawley Parish Council argues that it would be a potential aircraft hazard.

Other objectors have included local ward councillor Caroline Horrill.

Kirton Farm near Crawley got planning permission for three turbines in 2010 but those are much smaller at only 18 metres. There is already a 17-metre turbine at the college.

In a report to the planning committee the officers say the turbine because there has been insufficient information on the likely effect on bats and dormice.

The mice might be affected by the loss of habitat from the proposed access.

Principal Tim Jackson said today: “There appear to be two points of concern for the planning officer which are leading to her recommendation. One of these is based on ecological concerns expressed without specific site knowledge.

"We have thoroughly investigated the site ourselves and our own expert ecologists, who have detailed site knowledge, do not share these concerns, in fact there are no signs or evidence of dormice on the college estate which was one of species to which the reference was made. We have also sought expert advice from a leading environmental specialist counsel which confirms the Council’s objection to the application reflects a misunderstanding and misapplication of its legal duty to European Protected Species (EPS) and therefore the ecological objection of the council is unfounded.

"The other concern expressed by the planning officer relates to landscape impact. Again, the college has commissioned a detailed and professional study of impact and agreed with the Landscape Planning Officer as to the reference points for this assessment, prior to this being undertaken.

"The wind turbine is planned to be located at the lowest possible point in the college and will not be visible from Sparsholt village at all. The college has taken every reasonable step to mitigate the visual impact of this to occasional views of those who might see the turbine when walking in the countryside."