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‘STOPIT’ plea from wind farm protest
Credit: By Jon Walker, North Devon Journal, www.thisisnorthdevon.co.uk 28 October 2010 ~~
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Translate: FROM English | TO English
Scores of angry folk turned out to protest against a proposed wind farm near Bradworthy with turbines more than 400 feet high.
Almost a hundred residents from Meddon, Welcombe and other hamlets and outlying farmhouses met at Welcombe Village Hall to voice their opposition to the plan.
Spokesman for Stop Turbine Onshore Proliferation in Torridge, STOPIT, is Peter Austin from Meddon, who says his garden will be overshadowed by the turbines.
The retired RAF Wing Commander said: “There are 28 houses in the village and the turbines will be visible from most of them.
“Some people will be seeing them at eye level every time they go into their back gardens.”
Wind farm company Wind Venture development manager Daniel Baird hosted the meeting, which became heated as residents repeatedly voiced their opposition to the plan.
Mr Austin said: “He didn’t seem to know what he was talking about.
“But one thing we know, they have been coming and going around here for two years and now this is the first step in the planning process.”
Licensee of the West Country Inn Laura Swain said guests at her pub look out onto the valley at Harbour Cross near Meddon, the proposed site for the turbines.
She said: “This is a beautiful area and depends very much on tourism and these will drive tourists away.”
The STOPIT campaigners have written to their MP Geoffrey Cox for support.
In a written reply he said: “I am not in favour of large scale windfarm developments.”
He also said: “These turbines provide profit to the developer, but little to the local communities they disturb.”
The protesters have also written to Prime Minister David Cameron hoping he will offer support. Campaigners claim the turbines would destroy their quality of life, make their houses unsaleable and distress wildlife in the woods around the proposed turbine site.
At the moment the renewable energy company from Reading wants to put up a mast supporting a wind speed recorder on the site near Meddon.
If recorded wind speeds are fast enough to turn the blades on the proposed six turbines then a wind farm planning application will go into Torridge District Council.
Mr Baird said another public meeting would be held to debate the “understandable concerns” before any plans were finalised.
He said: “We hope to submit an application for six turbines in the spring next year.”
“There are 28 houses in the village and the turbines will be visible from most of them. Some people will be seeing them at eye level every time they go into their back gardens.”
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