July 28, 2008
England

Villagers get the wind up over plan

A campaign to fight plans to build a wind farm near Brixworth has been launched following a public meeting.

More than 150 people packed Brixworth Community Centre last Thursday to air their views on proposals to build seven wind turbines at Lodge Farm, just off the A508 between Brixworth and Hanging Houghton.

Bolsterstone, a Chesterfield-based property development and investment company, hopes to build the wind farm but has not yet submitted a planning application.

Organised by residents fearful of the impact such a development would have on Brixworth and the surrounding villages, the meeting heard from renewable energy expert Professor Michael Jefferson as well as East Midlands MEP Chris Heaton-Harris.

Former England and Northamptonshire cricketer Allan Lamb, who lives nearby, also attended.

Hanging Houghton resident David Ward, who helped organise the meeting, said the turbines would be about 125m tall – much higher than the tower of Brixworth’s rare Anglo Saxon All Saints Church.

He added: “We do not want the scenic value of the area to be destroyed.

“We get a lot of information about how good wind farms are but they are only suitable for certain places and this part of England is not one of them.”

Mr Ward urged residents to come forward to support the creation of an action group to oppose the plans.

He hopes the group can set up a website as well as print leaflets and posters opposing the scheme.

Prof Jefferson said the majority of wind farms work at less than a quarter of their capacity and that low wind speeds near Brixworth meant any turbines built in the area would probably achieve less than 22 per cent.

Mr Heaton-Harris, who lives in Pitsford, urged all those opposed to the scheme to write to their MP, the Lodge Farm land owners and Bolsterstone to register their opposition to the scheme.

Bolsterstone has said it will hold a full public consultation during which residents can raise concerns and that an environmental statement would be published and go on public display prior to any planning application submission.

Harborough Mail

21 July 2008


URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2008/07/28/villagers-get-the-wind-up-over-plan/