FINAL approval which will enable the repowering and extension of the Cold Northcott Windfarm in Laneast has been issued after the developer agreed a required Section 106 contribution with Cornwall Council.

Cold Northcott Windfarm Ltd had sought the removal of the existing wind turbines at the development, with their replacement comprising of up to 22 wind turbines boasting a greater height of 115 metres to their tip alongside associated works to enable it to happen.

It would represent a trebling of the height of the wind turbines presently on the site, with the applicant stating this is necessary to maximise the power it can generate.

There had been 109 objections to the project by members of the public, with 32 statements of support.

In addition to this, there had been objections from St Clether Parish Council and Laneast Parish Council in addition to Cornwall Council’s own national landscape team.

The proposals had won the approval of the strategic planning committee at Cornwall Council in 2025, however for the approval to be finalised it required the developer to make a deal with South West Water and Cornwall Council.

While usually, Section 106 agreements comprise of contributions that a developer is required to make as part of the granting of planning permission, the agreement that has unlocked the granting of planning permission relates to concerns that South West Water had about its communications system and the impact of the development.

It states: “The undertaker (South West Water) and the council are concerned that the development may cause interference to the undertaker's radio links and scanning telemetry system in the region of the development.

“The owner (the land owners and Cold Northcott Windfarm Ltd) has therefore agreed to enter into a planning obligation for the purpose of investigating and rectifying any problems relating to the impacts on this system and to meet those reasonable costs incurred in association with any works undertaken by or on behalf of the undertaker in an effort to assess, mitigate or remedy any such adverse interference caused by the development.”

The agreement means that the windfarm’s operator is required to pay £30,000 to compensate South West Water to assess, mitigate or remedy any interference that the larger wind turbines might cause with their communication system.

In approving the application, Cornwall Council has stipulated a number of conditions that the developer is required to abide as part of its approval.

These include the permanent removal of the existing wind turbines on the site and the details of the final layout, dimensions, design, materials and colour of the wind turbines in addition to associated installations being submitted in writing and approved by Cornwall Council.

It is also required to notify the council if the newly installed wind turbines fail to supply to the electricity grid for a continuous period of twelve months, after which it will be required to decommission within six months after that period.

Find out about planning applications that affect you by visiting the Public Notice Portal.

Additionally, the windfarm is only permitted to a maximum of 35 years of operation before being restored to its previous agricultural condition.