April 15, 2008
England

Protests against wind turbine plans

People living in Earthcott Green fear three wind turbines will blow away any remaining tranquillity in the area.

The turbines have been proposed on farmland off Old Gloucester Road by Stroud-based power company Ecotricity.

It maintains the 210ft high turbines – fitted with blades almost 40ft long – will not have a significant impact on the area and will generate enough power to supply 3,000 homes.

But unhappy residents who live near the proposed site claim the company has picked the wrong area.

David Watson, of Earthcott Green, said: “I haven’t met one person round here who is not strongly opposed to the turbines.

“The wind park will have a devastating visual impact on the surrounding countryside.

“The turbine propellers will be larger than a jumbo jet. However, jumbo jets fly away but these three propellers will be flying over the countryside forever.”

Gritta Weaver, of Perrinpit Farm, Frampton Cotterell, owns land that faces on to the proposed site.

“I don’t want to sound like a NIMBY but these turbines will be up 24/7 intruding on everyone living nearby,” she said.

“We are not allowed to do a thing on green belt land anymore and yet it looks like massive turbines will be allowed to be built.

“Just because it is green and environmentally friendly doesn’t mean it won’t impact on people’s lives.”

Tanya Davis, of Earthcott Green, lives less than a mile from the proposed site and has already organised a handout of leaflets in protest at the plans.

She said: “We live in the dumping ground of South Gloucestershire. We already have towering electricity pylons and a fast rat-run going through our village.

“The last thing we need now are three giant wind turbines to take away what peace and quiet we have left.

“The turbines should be built on commercial land far away from countryside and homes, like in Avonmouth, not here.”

Ecotricity recently put plans for the wind park on display at a special public exhibition in Frampton Cotterell before moving the plans to Thornbury Library.

The company is already behind three wind turbines which began generating last year on the banks of the Severn Estuary at Avonmouth.

It claims feedback from the consultation was good and is currently preparing to submit a planning application.

A spokesman for Ecotricity said: “The biggest single cause of climate change in our country today is from the burning fossil fuels to make so called conventional electricity.

“It is important we change this. Wind energy, producing power clean for local people to use, is a major part of this solution.

“Our site near Earthcott Green is ideal for this. It could generate enough electricity each year to power about 3,000 homes from just three wind turbines.

“In national surveys 80 per cent of people support wind energy, including in their own back yard.

“Wherever we try to build wind turbines there is massive but passive support for what we are doing and small but ferocious opposition.”

By Alex Ross