June 25, 2007
U.K.
U.K.
Campaigners in a Norfolk village have raised a helium-filled ‘blimp’ balloon to the height of a wind turbine to show the impact it could have on the area.
Supporters of the Stop Hempnall Onshore Wind Turbines (Showt) campaign funded the blimp, which they raised to 422ft (129m) above Hempnall on Saturday.
They have protested at plans for a seven-turbine wind farm in the village by Diss-based energy company Enertrag.
Enertrag said the turbines could supply up to 81,000 homes with green energy.
The company said land around the turbines can continue to be used for farming once they are constructed.
Campaigner against the wind farm said the height of the turbines would blight their landscape.
Geoff Moulton, chairman of Showt, told BBC News: “A lot of people underestimate the absolute scale of these things, so the main object of this is to give a very clear representation of the height involved.
“Not only to the parishioners but also to the South Norfolk planning department.
“They will be taller than Norwich and Salisbury Cathedrals and only five metres less than the London Eye.”
“It is ‘nimby’ (not in my back yard) but we’re very proud of being ‘nimbyist’.”
A planning application on the site is due to be submitted in September.
24 June 2007
URL to article: https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2007/06/25/balloon-raised-in-wind-farm-fight/