June 30, 2008
England
England
Villagers mounted a poster protest to show their anger about wind turbine plans.
Only days after Gordon Brown announced wide-ranging proposals for renewable energy, members of Parishes Against Wind Turbines (PAW) met to produce posters opposing turbines possibly destined for land close to their village.
The professionally printed boards were mounted and put on display by 20 volunteers on Saturday in Bishopton, near Stockton.
There are plans by the company Pure Renewable Energy to put up 11 turbines on the outskirts of several villages between Stockton and Darlington, with Bishopton one of several communities to be affected.
Residents are concerned about the impact the turbines, which have been branded “eyesores”, will have on the immediate environment.
Chairman of Bishopton Parish Council Peter Wood said: “The sacrifice may be worth it if the turbines were effective, but they are not effective.”
Mr Wood also voiced his concerns about the turbines, which are 100m tall, posing a danger to air traffic at Durham Tees Valley Airport.
The planning permission has yet to be submitted to Darlington Council, but villagers said they wanted the windfarmers to know that they would have a fight on their hands.
Paul Frost, spokesman for PAW, said he was pleased people had come to show their support, and hoped that those in council chambers would heed the protest.
He said: “This isn’t nimbyism, the turbines are not very efficient and will ruin the countryside around here.”
Pure Renewable Energy stressed that it proposed to hold full public consultation over the plans.
The Billingham-based firm is carrying out early site tests for the scheme on farm land outside Bishopton, West Newbiggin, Gilly Flatts and Little Stainton.
It said it was assessing a number of sites in the Tees Valley area “for technical and commercial viability.”
by John Sutton, Evening Gazette
30 June 2008
URL to article: https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2008/06/30/bishopton-villagers-in-wind-turbines-protest/