Thousands of homes will see turbines
Thousands of people living as far away as Boston, Sleaford and Lincoln will be able to see all eight of the Baumber turbines if the controversial wind farm scheme gets the go-ahead.
A new survey shows almost everyone living in a 30km radius to the north, west and south of the site would see the turbines unless another building or trees near their homes happened to block the view.
But many people living just a few miles to the east, for example in Belchford and Greetham, or in the Bain valley around Horncastle, would not see the turbines because of the way the land lies.
“This is why we have been banging on about the need for Lincolnshire to wake up,” said Melvin Grosvenor, chairman of Baumber Wind Farm Action Group (BWAG).
“The turbines are massive and will have a colossal impact.
“BWAG is not surprised by these findings. We have been doing our own research and knew what to expect.
“The turbines are huge. The diameter of the blades is wider than a Jumbo’s wings and they are nearly as high as the pillars of the Humber Bridge.”
The score of turbines at Conisholme already dominated the views for many people living in the east of the county and the turbines at Baumber would dominate views in the west, he said.
“This is not about a few properties in Baumber and Wispington – it’s on a much bigger scale than that.”
Enertrag, the Norfolk-based company behind the Baumber scheme, said calculations for the new visual impact survey were based on a ‘bare earth’ model. It took account of landform but not of any screening from buildings or vegetation.
The survey shows the ‘zone of theoretical visibility to blade tip’, according to the company.
There are also smaller areas of the county where some but not all of the turbines could be visible.
Enertrag is inviting comments from parish councils on the visual impact study by July 7.
By Pam Browne
18 June 2008
Tags: Wind power, Wind energy
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