August 8, 2007
England

Energy firm's windfarm support claims rejected

A campaign group has slammed claims by an energy company that wind power is popular.

Coronation Power says it has received more than 3,000 letters in support of its proposals for windfarms at Crook Hill near Watergrove Reservoir, Todmorden Moor and Reaps Moss in Bacup.

The company believes that public support for the turbines is stronger than the opposition.

But this seems not to be the case in Rochdale. The council has received hundreds of letters against plans for 12 125m-high turbines at Crook Hill. This far outweighs the number of letters in support of the planning application.

Bonnie Turner, community relations officer at Coronation Power, said: “The planning departments who are dealing with the proposals have now received over 3,000 letters in support of our wind power proposals. This means that there is more support than opposition.

“It’s very heartwarming for me and our company to know that our proposals have popular public support.”

Coronation Power says that the campaign group Friends of the South Pennines was a minority group and not representative of the population as a whole.

And it believes the three proposed wind farm applications are beginning to ‘reflect the actual public support that is out there’.

Coronation Power says the scheme for 21 turbines could supply enough clean, green electricity for up to 37,000 homes.

But Chris Edwards, spokesman for the Friends of the South Pennines, has hit back. He has been campaigning against the development since February and he has seen ‘people power’ at various public meetings to oppose wind farms.

He said: “I don’t believe that the number of objections will be outweighed by people who feel strongly enough to write in with an opposite view.

“Certainly there are people who think they are a sensible way of protecting renewable energy.

“But others believe there is an alternative, such as tidal power.

“These things are the height of Blackpool Tower and they would ruin beautiful moorland.”

He added: “I believe that so far there have been 550 to 600 signatures against the plans in Calderdale and I expect that it will be double that in Rochdale.

“People are very concerned about the noise and the effect on public health.”

A planning spokesman said: “There have been several hundred letters against the proposals and some letters in support, but not as many as those against.”

Rochdale Observer

7 August 2007


URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2007/08/08/energy-firms-windfarm-support-claims-rejected/