PLANS for a 44.5 metre wind turbine at Coombe Farm at Iddesleigh have been rejected by West Devon Borough Council.

The application for the turbine was refused by the council's planning committee on the basis that the 'proposal's location will have a detrimental impact on landscape character', while 'no over-riding community benefit is provided by the proposal to justify this detriment'.

Penny Mills, chair of the Torridge group of the Campaign for the Protection of Rural England, called the decision 'good news'.

The proposed turbine would have had a tip height of 44.5 metres, with a hub height of 30 metres and an estimated output of 225 kilowatts. The proposed turbine site, on permanent pasture land, is just within the boundary of West Devon Borough Council.

Iddesleigh Parish Council held a special public meeting in February about the plans, to find out the views of parishioners, gauge public opinion and respond to the application accordingly.

Geoffrey Cox, MP for Torridge and West Devon, wrote to the borough council earlier this year requesting it to consult with residents of Torridge district who live near to the proposed turbine site to ensure they remain fully informed of the planning situation.