October 11, 2007
England

Windfarm anger

Villagers near Aspatria are angry about plans to build a windfarm on their doorstep.

Five turbines – each more than 100 metres high – would be sited on a ridge to the south of Westnewton.

Local parish councillors are meeting tomorrow night to draw up their official response to the proposed scheme at Warwick Hall Farm.

But chairman John Ryden said last night, after a public exhibition in the village, that more than 90 per cent of locals were against the windfarm.

He said: “We held the exhibition so that people could find out the facts without glossy brochures, any sales talk or PR spin. “But we have already been out door-to-door in the village so we have a pretty good idea how people feel. And the overwhelming majority don’t want this development.

“They believe these wind turbines would dominate Westnewton. They would be taller than those at Bothel and visible from all over the village.

“People also have issues with the noise they would make, light flicker, transport routes during construction and other issues.”

Mr Ryden said that the protests were not coming from newcomers to the village.

He said: “They are from everyone – I’ve been here more than 30 years.”

One man who knows exactly where he stands on the issue is Graeme Baxter who has run Yates brewery in the village for the past nine years.

He said: “This development would be hugely detrimental to the village – both in visual terms and noise nuisance.

“I was out walking last night and there was absolute silence. That is why people move to places like this. It would be shattered by these turbines.”

The planning application to Allerdale council has come from Broadview Energy Developments Limited.

By Dave Gudgeon

News & Star

10 October 2007


URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2007/10/11/windfarm-anger/