A NEW wind turbine could be placed in west Cumbria if councillors give the plans their backing.

Cumberland Council has received a planning application to put a 1MW turbine, measuring 75 metres to the tip, at New Balance Athletic Shoes in Flimby, near Maryport.

Members of the council's planning committee will consider the application at a meeting at the Civic Centre in Carlisle on Wednesday (August 30) from 10.30am.

According to a planning report the proposed site covers an area of 0.4 hectares of land located to the south west of the Flimby factory.

The report states: "The application site is located within the coastal corridor of the A596 which is mostly industrial in nature with a number of large-scale manufacturing and construction operations including New Balance and Thomas Armstrong to the north and Holmen Iggesund to the south west.

"In addition to these large industrial units, there are a number of existing wind turbines within the immediate locality of the application site."

The application is for full planning permission for a turbine with a hub height of 46 metres and a blade diameter of 58 metres.

The report states: "The proposed turbine will be sited 29 metres to the south east of the New Balance factory and 145 metres to the west of the A596.

"The proposed development includes a new access track, constructed from hardcore, from the A596. The proposed access will be used for installation and maintenance purposes.

"The wind turbine will be fitted with trailing edge serrations, a sawtooth pattern to improve airflow over the turbine blade.

"It will also be fitted with an illuminance sensor for shadow flicker prevention. The turbine will be ‘pitched controlled’ meaning that the speeds of the rotor can be controlled by pitching the blades. When pitched fully at 90 degrees, the rotor will stop."

Seaton parish council has raised concerns that the proposed development would be obtrusive to neighbours and there would be problems with noise and flicker - the parish council also questioned the need for a turbine when the organisation already benefitted from energy generated by a nearby solar farm.

Council policy states that the authority should seek to promote and encourage the development of renewable and low carbon energy resources.

The report states: "The proposed development would provide a total installed capacity of 1805MW per year. The current on-site energy demand is 675.3MW per year.

"The submitted information demonstrates that the electricity generated from the turbine will cover the needs of the New Balance Flimby factory and any surplus will be passed through to their second factory.

"This will be handled by an agent who will sell or transfer the surplus energy on a power purchase agreement to the second factory. The proposal will therefore provide a contribution to meeting energy needs for the UK which would help address the impacts of climate change."

It is recommended that the committee grant planning permission subject to a number of conditions.