July 13, 2007
England
England
The campaign to halt controversial plans for a windfarm near Pontefract will take to the skies this weekend.
Campaigners will launch a blimp which will float at the same height as the proposed turbines, close to the site off Westfield Lane, Darrington.
The airborne demonstration is aimed at illustrating to local residents exactly how high the turbines, which are being planned by, Banks Developments, would be if the scheme is approved by the council.
The Pontefract Windfarm Action Group(PWAG) have arranged for a blimp which, weather permitting, will fly on Saturdays,Sundays and Tuesdays.
Angry residents have pledged to fight the windfarm plans, saying it will be an eyesore, is too close to their homes and will hit property prices.
Banks have said the turbines could provide renewable power for up to 8,000 homes.
A spokesman for PWAG said: “The blimp will fly at the same height as the proposed turbines.
“This will give the most accurate impression to date of how high the structures will be.
“However the blimp, at a little over 20ft long, will be less than a tenth of the width of one turbine, of which six are currently proposed.
Silent
“It will be silent and will not cause a flicker effect, unlike the real thing.
“It will however be visible for miles around,residents, motorists, walkers, cyclists, horse riders and owners will be able to envisage for the first time just how detrimental these turbines would be.”
Over 760 people have already made their voices heard by objecting to plans for a 60m high wind monitoring mast on the
site.
That application is recommended for approval at a meeting of Wakefield Council’s planning and highways chiefs tomorrow and the mast will be used to gather information ahead of any wind turbines being built.
But a report to the panel stresses that approval of the monitoring mast should not been seen as implying that the plans for the wind turbines will also be given the green light.
The application for the turbines has been submitted and is awaiting consideration by the committee.
PWAG is now urging residents to keep making their voices heard over the windfarm plans.
Objections to the monitoring mast do not count and new objections and comments to the wind farm planning application must be made.
The correct planning reference is 07/01338/FUL.
Comments should be sent to the planning dept for the attention of Becky Walker,Newton Bar,Leeds Road,Wakefield, WF1 2TX.
By Stuart Robinson
12 July 2007
URL to article: https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2007/07/13/blimp-protest-move-to-halt-windfarm-bid/