MP joins the fight against turbine plan
MP Bill Cash this week declared Severn Trent’s plans for three wind turbines near Stone as unacceptable.
He said he would be fighting the scheme on water meadows between Aston and Burston ‘tooth and nail’.
Campaigners are worried about the noise and visual impact on low-lying land. They say the turbines would be nearly as tall as Blackpool Tower, and worry about the effect on property prices and wildlife.
They have already collected a 300-signature petition and last week set up an action group.
The MP has been invited by Salt and Enson Parish Council to speak at their next meeting at Salt Village Hall on Monday, July 27, at 7.30pm about his opposition to the wind turbines plan.
Also invited to the meeting are Labour MP for Stafford, David Kidney, who is the Government Junior Minister for the Department of Energy & Climate Change, and Severn Trent officials.
“There is no justification for these turbines on either economic or environment grounds,” said the town’s MP.
“Having attended and spoken at the last public meeting I am even more opposed to the unacceptable proposals by Severn Trent.
“I gave evidence in person at the public inquiry at Bear stone, near Market Drayton, in the north west of my constituency which was successful.”
Burston is one of 15 possible sites chosen by Severn Trent, but a packed meeting at Aston Village Hall last Wednesday was told it would take up to four years before any wind turbines were put up.
Newly-elected action group chairman Paul Shaw, of Burston Village Farm, said: “I was delighted with Mr Cash’s comments, support and that he would be speaking at the parish council meeting.”
He called for as many campaigners as possible to attend next Monday’s meeting.
“If we can encourage a large
presence at Salt it is hoped we can question Severn Trent’s representatives at this meeting and that it could lead to the water company reconsidering their proposals,” said Mr Shaw.
“Anyone who is in any doubt as to the impact this proposal will have on Stone, Aston Lodge, Saxifrage Drive estate, Aston by Stone, Burston, Enson, Weston, Yarlet, and Marston areas should ask themselves why Severn Trent feel it necessary to ‘consult’ in the village of Salt, which is considerably further from the site (between Aston by Stone and Burston) than Stone and the other villages mentioned,” he added.
The chairman also said he was delighted with the turnout at last Wednesday’s meeting of 50 residents and that everyone gave their support to the action group committee and was willing to contribute to a fighting fund.
The committee, which has already set up their own website www.burstonwind.co.uk, were due to meet on Wednesday (July 22) to decide how best to oppose Severn Trent’s application to put up a 60-metre wind measuring mast to assess the site’s suitability before submitting plans for the wind turbines.
For more details contact Paul Shaw on 07734797878 or email shaw_Paul@BTconnect.com.
Details of the plans are available at www.stwater.co.uk/renewables
By Annette Belcher
24 July 2009
Tags: Wind power, Wind energy
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