Fresh plans for a replacement wind turbine in Pembrokeshire have been submitted after a previous scheme which saw local council objections and concerns by the Met Office was withdrawn.

In an application to Pembrokeshire County Council, Surrey-based Constantine Wind Energy Limited, which manages some 200 turbines throughout Great Britain, had initially sought permission for a 102-metre-high wind turbine at Sarnau Farm, near Trelech.

The application would replace an existing 45-metre-high turbine, granted permission in 2014.

In a supporting statement, Wilmslow-based agent Axis PED Limited said any visual impact would be “outweighed by the beneficial contribution the replacement turbine would make in the transition away from fossil fuels and the ability to meet UK Net Zero targets in line with the Government’s commitments”.

Local community council Clydau strongly objected to the first proposal, raising concerns including the size is more than double that existing, and potential visual and noise impacts.

The Met Office raised concerns about the impact on the nearby Crug-y-Grollwyn weather radar, just over four kilometres away, saying: “Wind turbines have been shown to have detrimental effects on the performance of Met Office weather radars. These effects include the blocking of radar data in the vicinity of the turbines and the creation of false ‘clutter’ returns which can imitate or obscure real precipitation signals.”

After the previous scheme was withdrawn, the applicants have now submitted plans for a smaller turbine, some 64 metres in height.

A supporting statement through the agent said the applicant had met with the local community council to discuss the latest scheme, the council raising concerns including landscape and visual impacts.

It says the new proposal would more than double the amount of power produced by the existing turbine, enough to support an estimated 305 average households’ energy usage.

It also says the MoD did not object to the previous scheme, suggesting the smaller application would also attract no objection.

It added: “The MET Office did object to the previous application for the 102m tip height turbine, however this lower turbine would not be greater than 310 AOD [Aerosol Optical Depth], which meets their operational requirements for the location of the wind turbine.

“Whilst the applicant has not formally consulted with any other the key aviation stakeholders, the proposed height would not exceed parameters set out by the Civil Aviation Authority, it is considered based on the applicant’s experience with other turbines of a similar height that there would be no risk to aircraft or radar, which will be confirmed during statutory consultation with stakeholders during determination.”

The application will be considered by county planners at a later date.