August 22, 2007
England
England
Residents in Syderstone have overwhelmingly voted against plans to build a wind farm on the boundary of their village.
E.On UK is hoping to build a five-turbine wind farm on agricultural land at Chiplow, in the parish of Bagthorpe-with-Barmer but adjacent to the Syderstone boundary.
Last week Syderstone residents voiced their opinions on the plans at a parish poll, which saw 77 per cent of voters opposing the wind farm, with just 23 per cent in favour.
The vote attracted a 49 per cent turnout, with 210 people taking to the polls at the Amy Robstart Village Hall on Thursday.
Syderstone resident Reg Thompson, a member of the action group formed to oppose the plans, said: “A parish poll is the ultimate exercise in democracy, it is a referendum.
“Few politicians can boast a 77 per cent mandate on a 49 per cent turnout. The Syderstone result is a wake-up call for all of Norfolk’s elected representatives.
“The voters do not want our beautiful countryside blighted by these hideous machines.”
Syderstone Parish Council chairman Cllr Gerry Taylor was delighted with the turnout in the poll, which he said was far greater than at parish, borough and county council elections.
He told the Lynn News: “As a small parish council we decided that this would be the way to go, rather than making a decision on behalf of the village.
“We decided to give everyone in the village a chance to form an opinion, which has been very well received. The turnout was fantastic.
“This was an officially- conducted poll which will be recorded by the borough council and these figures will go before the planners.”
E.On UK submitted plans for a 50-metre climate monitoring mast on the proposed site in July and a full application is expected in the autumn.
Campaigners against the plans held a public meeting in Bircham Newton earlier this month when a number of guest speakers gave warnings about the health impact, noise disturbances and threat to wildlife which could stem from the turbines.
21 August 2007
URL to article: https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2007/08/22/wind-farm-proposal-syderstone-says-no/