December 24, 2010
England

Wind farm campaigners boosted by RSPB objection

By Rory McKeown, This is The West Country, www.thisisthewestcountry.co.u 23 December 2010

Campaigners fighting a proposed wind farm in West Huntspill were given a boost after the RSPB lodged an objection against the plans.

In a letter to Sedgemoor District Council, the bird charity claims it was not aware Ecotricity, the wind farm applicants, had submitted a planning application without a further study into bird movement over the Poplar Farm site.

The RSPB said Ecotricity also agreed with Natural England and Somerset Wildlife Trust to carry out a “further radar-based study” at the site over the winter period.

The letter by Richard Archer, RSPB Somerset and Severn Estuary conservation officer, said the site lies within the broad flight corridor for birds between the Severn Estuary and Somerset Levels and Moors Special Protection Areas and Ramsar wetlands.

He said: “These two European sites are internationally important for ducks, swans and wading birds in winter and spring and autumn migration.”

John Wakefield, of the West Huntspill Wind Farm Action Group, said: “We as humans can recognize wind turbine blades moving through the sky on an axis – birds and bats cannot, whether hunting, migrating or just flying on the thermals.

“These innocent creatures cannot perceive the movement of the blades and consequently wind turbines are always going to be invisible to the innocent creatures that use the sky as their natural place.”

Mike Cheshire, spokesman for Ecotricity, said the organisation was working with the RSPB and Natural England but further assessments have been postponed until January after severe weather affected the system.


URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2010/12/24/wind-farm-campaigners-boosted-by-rspb-objection/