ANOTHER huge wind turbine is being proposed for land to the east of York.

EDP, of Easingwold, is looking to site the turbine on land at Ivy House Farm, just south of the A1079 near Kexby.

The turbine’s hub would be 50 metres high, with the blade tips reaching 77 metres. By comparison, York Minster is 63 metres high.

Another company, Origin Energy, has already submitted a planning application to City of York Council for a turbine higher than the Minster at Murton Moor.

EDP has submitted a request to the council for a “screening opinion” as to whether an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) would be required to accompany a planning application for the Kexby turbine.

Director Rufus Salter said in a letter to the council he is of the opinion that a full EIA is unlikely to be required, quoting a Department for Environment Transport and the Regions circular which states: “EIA is more likely to be required for commercial developments of five or more turbines.”

He said if the council agreed an EIA was not required, EDP would be submitting a detailed environmental statement to support a planning application.

He said EDP had already begun informal consultations with bodies such as Natural England, English Heritage and Ofcom.

Holtby resident Clare Hartley, one of a group of residents from Murton, Holtby and Warthill who oppose the turbines, said she was concerned by the plans for a second such structure, which she claimed would again dwarf the skyline and detract from the area for visitors approaching York.

She feared that if one such turbine was allowed in the Green Belt, it would set a dangerous precedent.

She said: “We are arranging an open day at Holtby village hall on Sunday, March 9, from 11am to 4pm. This is an open forum for people to come and talk through their concerns with us and to look at the information that we have collated.”

Osbaldwick Independent councillor Mark Warters said the likely submission of a second turbine application confirmed his worst fears for the area east of York, where numerous such structures had been proposed in the city’s draft Local Plan.

Mr Salter said EDP was a consultancy which sought to help landowners deal with planning matters on issues such as wind turbines.