At a meeting at the Princes Theatre, Clacton-on-Sea, tonight, members of the Development Control Committee of Tendring District Council voted unanimously (16 votes to Nil) to oppose the project to install five 125m (410ft) high industrial wind turbines in a rural location at Earls Hall Farm, on the edge of Clacton-on-Sea. Planners had previously (11th June 2008) recommended that planning permission be granted.  

During the meeting, there were representations from David Harrington, from campaign group, STAPLE, who opposed the project, from Cath Stevenson, representing the developer Npower Renewables, in favour, and from two councillors representing the two wards in which the project is situated (Michael Talbot (St Osyth and Point Clear) and Harry Shearing (Bockings Elm)); both indicated their clear opposition. 

In front of a public attendance of 200 people, made up predominantly of those campaigning to stop the project, councillor after councillor attacked the plans, emphasising how inappropriately sited the turbines would be, and how potentially harmful they could prove to be to the quality of life of local people. The co-existence of the substantially larger consented Gunfleet Sands offshore wind facility, which will be capable of generating 20x more electricity than Earls Hall Farm, was also cited as material reason why the latter project should be viewed as unsuitable. One councillor could not understand why Planning Officers had on the one hand turned down the application in his ward for a small wind turbine for domestic micro-generation, on the grounds that its several metres of height would be inappropriate to the area, and had, on the other hand, now recommended approving a project for five massive 125m structures in flat and open countryside. Another councillor pointed to the threat from ice shards being thrown distances of up to 600m from the blades as they turn on cold winter days, and indicated that an analysis of such a threat had not been a part of the Planners report. Finally, a councillor, who also happens to pilot light aircraft as a hobby, agreed with the campaigners' rejection of the Planners conclusion that Clacton Airfield's amenity would be protected. "When I am coming in to land in poor visibility", he said, "I am looking out for other aircraft in the area, and not for the existence of giant industial structures".

Attempting to indicate that there was broad public support for the project, the representative of the developer, Npower, indicated that the Council had received 1054 letters of support, compared to 149, letters of opposition. On closer scrutiny, it was made clear by campaign group STAPLE (backed up by Planners evidence) that not only were most of the letters of support in the form of a standard template, but that almost half of these letters came from addresses outside the Tendring district. Of those opposed, 96% came from local people, and most were individually drafted.

The developer, Npower Renewables, now has the right to Appeal, and was said to be considering its options.