July 29, 2008
England

Turbine bid puts wind up protesters

A bid to build four giant wind turbines which would loom over Bodmin and Lanivet will soon be submitted to the local planning authority.

Energy company Ecotricity has confirmed it intends to erect the 100-metre structures at Reperry Cross.

Local campaign group BLOT (Bodmin and Lanivet Opposes Turbines) was formed nine months ago in anticipation of a wind farm application for the site, and says its worst fears have now been realised.

Yesterday, members of the group were at an exhibition of the turbine plans in Lanivet where they handed out leaflets and urged people to sign a petition against the planning application.

BLOT members claim the 100-metre turbines will be twice the height of Bodmin Beacon and will scar the landscape.

Ecotricity maintains wind turbines are needed to reduce carbon emissions from conventional electricity generation to help fight climate change.

Bodmin Town Council has already informed North Cornwall District Council it would oppose any development that would impact on Bodmin Beacon and the surrounding nature reserve which has just received a Green Flag award from the Civic Trust, one of only four sites in the county to gain the award.

BLOT spokeswoman Helen Watson, who lives close to the proposed site, said the campaign group was ready to fight the application.

“Now we know that Ecotricity is going to submit a planning application for these huge turbines, we can really start focussing our attention as a protest group, and work towards persuading everyone concerned that this wind farm must not be allowed to go ahead,” she said.

“These turbines will loom over Bodmin and Lanivet and will also have a detrimental impact on Helman Tor, an ancient site of special scientific interest.

“The turbines will ruin the ambience of the area and ruin the quality of life of the people living near the site.”

Mrs Watson said her members had received support and advice from various anti-turbine groups in Cornwall and Devon, including Lanlivery campaigners who successfully fought an application there after a three-year battle.

“If we can get the support of communities which will be effected by the wind farm, I’m confident we will be able to stop it going ahead.”

Ecotricity MD Dale Vince said the Reperry turbines would generate enough electricity to power 19% of homes in North Cornwall, and there was an urgent need to change the way energy was produced in the UK.

He said: “ We’re facing the twin problems of a global energy crisis. The world is running out of oil and gas and we can’t afford to burn the stuff anyway because of climate change. Wind energy is a local resource, it grows here in the UK and we can make our own energy from it, and solve both problems.”

Yesterday’s exhibition in Lanivet will move to Bodmin library today, where it will run until August 13.

This Is Cornwall

29 July 2008


URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2008/07/29/turbine-bid-puts-wind-up-protesters/