October 21, 2010
England

MP’s call for balloon test at site

Leicester Mercury, www.thisisleicestershire.co.uk 19 October 2010

An MP has called on an energy company to fly a blimp at the height of proposed windfarm turbines to give people the chance to assess the scale of the project.

Peel Energy is proposing to build up to 10 410 feet turbines at the former Asfordby mine site.

In a letter to the company’s managing director, Stephen Klein, Rutland and Melton MP Alan Duncan said: “The contours around Asfordby are variable and impossible to comprehend from the map and photographs.

“The only convincing means of appreciating the visual impact and scale of your proposed turbines is to float a blimp at the highest point of the rotor blade. This may need to be done from a number of points on the ground given the number of turbines planned.

“I understand you have refused point blank to fly balloons in this way, which is a decision I find quite unacceptable.

“This is an inexpensive and helpful way to illustrate the scale of the construction you propose and I must therefore please ask you that you are prepared to change your mind and do this in a well-publicised manner in advance of any planning decision by Melton Borough Council.”

The MP has had meetings with the company and protest group STOP over the planned wind farm.

Project manager Patrick Keogh said: “Peel Energy organised a coach trip to an operational wind farm in September for local residents to see for themselves the scale of similar turbines to the ones we are proposing at the former Asfordby mine site.”

“We are currently considering a request to fly a blimp on the site. However, this practice is not recognised by local planning authorities as an accurate portrayal of how the turbines would look.”

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2010/10/21/mps-call-for-balloon-test-at-site/