LOCATION/TYPE

NEWS HOME


[ exact phrase in "" • results by date ]

[ Google-powered • results by relevance ]

Archive
RSS

Add NWW headlines to your site (click here)

WHAT TO DO
when your community is targeted

Get weekly updates
RSS

RSS feeds and more

Keep Wind Watch online and independent!

Donate via Stripe

Donate via Paypal

Selected Documents

All Documents

Research Links

Alerts

Press Releases

FAQs

Campaign Material

Photos & Graphics

Videos

Allied Groups

News Watch Home

Wind farm for moor saved from peat diggers 

A wind farm of 328 ft high turbines has been approved next to Thorne Moor in Yorkshire, a reserve protected under EU law which conservationists campaigned for 20 years to save from peat diggers.

The moor was eventually bought for the nation for £19 million by English Nature, the forerunner of Natural England, the Government’s own conservation advisers, which now owns it and opposed the wind farm.

However, neither the opposition of Natural England, the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds or that of a coalition of local groups including the Campaign to Protect Rural England has been enough to prevent 22 large-scale turbines being sited within 200 metres of the protected lowland bog.

The flat moor near Goole is protected under European law both as a special protection areas for birds such as the nightjar and as a special conservation area for its plants and insects. Campaigners spent 20 years trying to persuade the Government to buy out peat digging consents owned by first Fisons and then Scotts.

The decision of John Hutton, the Business Secretary, to approve the windfarm was based on the conclusion of a public inquiry Keith Smith, who concluded: “I find no convincing case for refusal of consent on grounds of landscape or visual impact, including cumulative impact.”

Andy Tickle, planning manager for the CPRE in South Yorkshire, said: “We’re very disappointed. This wind farm will be 200 metres away and the impact on the setting and context of a unique landscape in England are unacceptable.”

Protesters made the case that the farm was a very similar case to one proposed between the Lake District and Yorkshire Dales national parks on the M6, which was refused.

Under the arcane rules which affect energy schemes, a senior official was asked to make an “appropriate assessment” on whether the scheme compromised the ecological factors of the area, based on evidence from Natural England, which opposed the scheme.

The official decided to approve. The secretary of state’s decision letter is based on this and the inquiry inspector’s finding.

Dr Tickle added: “When we look at landscapes there is a lot said about natural beauty.

“I wonder whether the inspector in this case saw this as a lowland expanse of dark brown peat and failed to see it in natural beauty terms. He simply didn’t appreciate that that kind of lowland landscape needed protection.”

By Charles Clover
Environment Editor

Telegraph

28 February 2008

This article is the work of the source indicated. Any opinions expressed in it are not necessarily those of National Wind Watch.

The copyright of this article resides with the author or publisher indicated. As part of its noncommercial educational effort to present the environmental, social, scientific, and economic issues of large-scale wind power development to a global audience seeking such information, National Wind Watch endeavors to observe “fair use” as provided for in section 107 of U.S. Copyright Law and similar “fair dealing” provisions of the copyright laws of other nations. Send requests to excerpt, general inquiries, and comments via e-mail.

Wind Watch relies entirely
on User Contributions
   Donate via Stripe
(via Stripe)
Donate via Paypal
(via Paypal)

Share:

e-mail X FB LI M TG TS G Share


News Watch Home

Get the Facts
CONTACT DONATE PRIVACY ABOUT SEARCH
© National Wind Watch, Inc.
Use of copyrighted material adheres to Fair Use.
"Wind Watch" is a registered trademark.

 Follow:

Wind Watch on X Wind Watch on Facebook Wind Watch on Linked In

Wind Watch on Mastodon Wind Watch on Truth Social

Wind Watch on Gab Wind Watch on Bluesky