May 14, 2008
England, Letters

Councillors failed to grasp their opportunity

Porky pies under Fenland skies is the best way to describe the latest news that wind developers have been misleading local people over CLAIMED energy production.

The German wind developer at Marshland St James informed me that his so-called highly-efficient and modern 3MW wind turbine, the largest and most advanced in Europe, will power 1,000 homes.

The question is, if this is the case, will the “man from the Co-op” please explain, why for years have the public been led to believe that the Co-op’s less efficient and smaller 2MW turbine would power the needs of 1,250 homes. Is this yet another case of misleading the residents of Fenland?

I recently made representation at the Fenland Council planning meeting, that determined two wind turbine applications. One was rejected and seven approved, disappointingly, when council members were asked on two occasions if they had any questions for the opposition to the applications. These requests were met with a rather embarrassing silence.

Councillors, in my view, had an opportunity they failed to grasp. Had they seized such an opportunity, they may have learnt what others had to say on the issue of turbines, and become more aware of turbine issues. Worryingly, almost a decade on, actual understanding of the controversial nature of turbines still had not registered, making sound judgement almost impossible.

On the issue of wind turbines, many of those in the decision making process fail to relate to the environment and the associated impact caused by turbine developments. It’s almost a decade since the first proposal for wind turbines landed on the planner’s desk, and still the FDC talks about turbine policy, when in reality, it’s too late.

This failure to produce policy has been extremely environmentally damaging, unforgivable, incompetent, and inept.

As readers drive around Fenland, they must be aware moves are afoot to double the amount of wind turbines that they now see. FDC talks about being “objective” in future applications when it should be withdrawing from this controversial and expensive problem that they themselves contributed to. As it’s been said “we have done our bit”.

JOHN STONEMAN,
Cambs Environmental and Wildlife Protection.

Fenland Today

14 May 2008


URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2008/05/14/councillors-failed-to-grasp-their-opportunity/