December 19, 2006
U.K.
U.K.
Approval for the world’s biggest wind-farm off the south coast of England yesterday sparked calls to halt new inland schemes in the North.
The Department of Trade and Industry yesterday gave the green light to the London Array, which will be built 12 miles out to sea.
With 341 turbines, the £1.5bn bid could generate up to 10% of the UK Government’s 2010 green energy targets.
And a second £500m windfarm, also off the coast of Kent, will add a further 100 turbines.
North-East protesters who are fighting a raft of separate bids across the region say a local offshore alternative should be fully explored before any turbines are placed on terra firma.
“We’ve said all along that windfarms should be offshore,” said South Charlton farmer Robert Thorpe, who is fighting plans to put 24 turbines at Middlemoor, just north of Alnwick, Northumberland.
“It makes far more sense to put the turbines out at sea, both visually and operationally, instead of ruining our beautiful landscape.
“Offshore, they can be as big as you like without affecting anyone, as well as more economic.
“We would call on the DTI – which is currently considering the Middlemoor application – to call a halt on all onshore wind-farm development here in the North-East, so that an offshore alternative can be investigated.”
Don Brownlow, a member of the Moorsyde Action Group, added: “We’re facing three separate applications within a few miles of each other near Berwick, at Moorsyde, Toft Hill and Barmoor, totalling 26 turbines.
“It makes no sense at all, when we could be putting them all offshore.”
By Robert Brooks, The Journal
URL to article: https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2006/12/19/rejection-urged-for-inland-turbines/