Villagers block wind farm from ‘ruining’ Hockney landscape

Campaigners have won their battle to stop six wind turbines towering over a countryside beauty spot that David Hockney immortalised. The 492ft structures were planned for the Yorkshire Wolds, the rolling chalk hills that inspired some of the late artist’s most celebrated paintings . But officials have thrown out the scheme, saying it would have a negative effect on landmarks, villagers’ homes and military radar technology. Rob Booth, 58, a resident and member of campaign group Keep Wind Off Woldgate, said: “We are all so relieved.

The phones in the village were alive when we heard the decision. “We did so much work to raise our concerns about this wholly inappropriate development, so it’s a very welcome decision. It’s still not properly sunk in.” East Riding of Yorkshire council refused the application from Three Oaks REP Extension on Monday, rewarding residents for months of opposition. The proposals involved building six turbines at Thornholme Fields, near Burton Agnes, East Yorkshire.

A 300ft meteorological mast, underground cables, transformer kiosks, crane pads and access tracks were also planned. But in a report setting out five reasons for refusal, council planning officers said the development would cause “a high level of harm” to historic sites. These included Burton Agnes Hall, an Elizabeth stately home with a Grade I-listed gatehouse, All Saints Church in Rudston and the ancient Rudston Monolith, Britain’s tallest standing stone.

Mr Booth said: “The field that would have hosted the wind farm bordered Woldgate, an ancient lane made famous by David Hockney who painted it many times when he lived here. “I think he would be very relieved – like us – that the plans are not going ahead. It’s a really special little area and the windfarm would have blighted it for generations to come.” He added: “The plans have caused an immense amount of worry and stress to people living here and we have yet to find anyone in favour of it.”

Residents feared the structures would transform a landscape made known worldwide by Hockney. The Bradford-born painter, who died in June at 88, had travelled along Woldgate to his studio in Bridlington, drawing inspiration from the surrounding woods and fields. He often painted the area, including in his acclaimed 2011 iPad series The Arrival of Spring, created over six months. One of his Woldgate Woods works sold for £9.4m in New York in 2016.

Hockney himself had opposed wind turbines in the area, describing them as “big ugly things”. He said: “I certainly wouldn’t paint them. They are unnatural. People should stand up for themselves and say no to these things if they don’t agree with them.” Officials said the scheme’s benefits were “not considered sufficient to outweigh this significant high level of harm”. Planners described the proposed turbines as “a prominent and incongruous feature within the landscape” and warned of “unacceptable adverse effects on visual amenity”.

They said the structures would damage the Yorkshire Wolds Important Landscape Area, compounding the impact of an already approved solar farm nearby. The enormous blades would also appear as “overbearing and visually dominant features” from nearby homes. Planners also warned the turbines could interfere with air defence radar at RRH Staxton Wold and obstruct low-level military flying. He would have been ‘heartbroken’ by turbines Denise Howard, a councillor, said that Hockney would have been “heartbroken” to see six giant turbines on the landscape.

The Three Oaks Renewable Energy Park Extension would have sat beside an approved 161-acre solar farm and battery storage project. Ridge Clean Energy, the developer, had said the 25.2MW scheme would generate electricity – equivalent to the annual needs of around 24,000 households. Richard Barker, project manager at Three Oaks REP Extension, said he was “disappointed” at the council decision. “Decisions such as this risk slowing progress towards a low-carbon energy system, greater energy security, and lower energy costs,” he said.

He said the case for homegrown energy, national investment and meaningful community benefits “has only grown stronger”, and that the developer would “carefully review the council’s decision and its reasons for refusal”.