August 15, 2007
England
England
Angry residents in north Cornwall gathered on Monday night to declare “no more wind farms in our back yard.”
More than 200 people packed into Clease Hall, Camelford, to share their dismay over plans for two more wind farms in the district and which are planned for the Davidstow area.
They say north Cornwall has become a “dumping ground” for turbines and claim there are already too many in the area.
One of the planned sites could see energy company Ecotricity construct four 100metre-high turbines on land at Hendraburnick.
The other site, where a planning application is yet to be submitted, will see as many as 20 turbines installed, standing over 126m at their highest point, it has been claimed
Roy Holland, who was elected chairman of the campaigners, said: “The amount of people here tonight shows that we are all concerned about the proposed wind farms and that we already have an abundance of them in the area.
“We need to protect and preserve the area as the turbines will cause many problems.”
Among the problems highlighted in the meeting were the adverse affect the presence of turbines will have on the area’s wildlife.
Arthur Boyt, who was elected to help the committee and came as a spokesman on behalf of the RSPB, said: “Starling clouds will be threatened by the turbines, as will many other breeds of bird that fly over the proposed site.
“What is most worrying is that the area attracts many bird watchers, who come to see such a wide variety of species that is rich around this area.
“Driving these people away by putting turbines in is not an option.”
The RSPB is understood to have advised the turbine company to look elsewhere to build its wind farm, due to the disruption it will cause to birds.
Mr Holland, added: “We are not against renewable energy – far from it – but we are fed up of being a dumping ground for these wind farms.
“They will not build at sea or use wave energy as it costs more to build, so they just dump on north Cornwall.”
Ecotricity says that the four turbines it wishes to build will generate enough green energy to power 9,000 homes, which is twice as much as the nearby Delabole site.
The campaigners’ group is meeting today to decide on its name and an action plan on how to combat the proposed wind farm developments.
15 August 2007
URL to article: https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2007/08/15/storm-gathers-over-giant-wind-farm-dumping-site/