September 18, 2007
England
England
Producers of the Oscar-tipped film Atonement may not have chosen Teesside as a location if a planned wind farm had already been built, it is claimed.
The Department of Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform has approved plans for EDF Energy to build 30 420ft (128m) turbines off the Redcar coast.
Redcar was transformed into war-ravaged Dunkirk for the World War II epic starring Keira Knightley.
Redcar and Cleveland Council says the plans could adversely affect the area.
EDF has promised full consultation with the council, residents and other interested parties.
The planned wind farm would be capable of producing up to 90MW of electricity, enough to supply the annual requirements of about 60,000 households.
But Redcar and Cleveland Council leader George Dunning said: “We fully support renewable energy concepts.
“However, to build 30 huge wind turbines so close to the shoreline at Redcar could be detrimental to the leisure projects envisaged to regenerate not only Redcar, but the whole of the borough.
“The film Atonement was a big boost for the whole of Redcar and Cleveland. Would Atonement’s director Joe Wright have still considered Redcar beach for Atonement with 30 wind turbines on the shoreline?
“The council will be seriously looking at their options, one of them may well be to seek a judicial review on this decision.”
EDF Energy chief executive Vincent de Rivaz said: “EDF Energy has a long-term commitment to maintaining a diverse and sustainable energy mix in the future, involving all types of generation including renewables.
“The project proposed for Redcar will play an important role in helping to achieve these targets and will help lead the way in providing low carbon energy for current and future generations.”
18 September 2007
URL to article: https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2007/09/18/wind-farm-plan-sparks-movie-doubt/