May 1, 2008
England, Letters

Peak Park must be protected

I note from your Peak Time supplement (April 25) that the decision by the Peak Park Planning Committee to approve an application for a wind turbine on the Longshaw Estate is described as being “bold.”

I have two alternative descriptions – irresponsible and misguided.

The Peak Park is a national treasure and, for the benefit of the millions of people who use it, has strict policies and guidelines designed to protect its scenic beauty for the benefit of all. This proposal clearly breaches those policies, along with those designed to protect the Green Belt in general and, as such, should have been rejected.

In failing to do so, the planning committee is guilty of neglecting the duties for which it was appointed and allowing itself to be influenced by some vague notion of “saving the environment”, one of the justifications put forward for this perverse decision. As one well-known journalist remarked when commenting on the subject of wind turbines, “Are these people saying that in order to save the environment we first have to destroy it?”

One wonders which hat the committee vice-chair (who also happens to be the “authority’s spokesperson on climate change!”) was wearing when called upon to vote on the matter. Certainly, her statement “—- I do not think it will impinge on long distance views” is in clear contradiction of the advice the committee were given by their own planning officers who stated, unequivocally, that the structure “— would be seen on the skyline, from public footpaths used by walkers and from the B6054 as far away as the Grouse Inn.”

Let us all hope that when the National Park Authority are called upon to give their verdict on the matter they will give a resounding “yes” in favour of protecting our beautiful countryside (which is what they are there for) and a resounding “no” to this crude and intrusive industrial installation based on technology which will probably be obsolete in 10 years or less.

Sheffield Telegraph

1 May 2008


URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2008/05/01/peak-park-must-be-protected/