As a long term objector to wind farms, I welcome the formation of an action group to oppose the possible application for two such monstrosities between Bottesford and Long Bennington and I hope it will be possible to liaise with other areas in the country who are fighting similar applications, forming national associations would have a huge impact, possible forcing a wider debate in order to get answers to the many questions objectors have.
Independent, truthful and unbiased views will not be given by the applicants, particularly as the huge subsidy being paid to the Wind Farms Association is the sole reason for the existence of such companies as Ridgewinds and Infinergy.
The energy watchdog Ofgem has said this subsidy must be phased out and coal-fired power stations will be needed as back-up as the ‘raw material’ for the turbines, wind, is unpredictable and uncontrolled. So if this subsidy is reduced or withdrawn and new ‘clean fuel’ power stations planned, will wind turbines be too costly to run? Then what happens? Will they be abandoned? Will the scrap man move in? Who will dig up the substantial roads built across our fields for construction and maintenance?
We have a decreasing amount of green and pleasant land on our small island and with the vast amount of turbines proposed and the roads and ancillary work required to service them, are we embarking on perhaps the greatest planning disaster the countryside has ever seen? And for only a possible 10 per cent of our energy requirements which could easily be achieved by everyone reducing slightly the power that they use.
BARBARA B. HART
Grantham Road, Bottesford
16 November 2007
URL to article: https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2007/11/16/perhaps-we-should-reduce-the-power-we-use-rather-than-build-turbines/