January 26, 2011
England

Wainfleet attacks ‘mad’ wind plans

Skegness Standard, www.skegnessstandard.co.uk 25 January 2011

Residents of the Wainfleet fenlands have vowed to fight any windfarm development in their area – after local politicians sounded a clarion call against the ‘threat’ posed by wind energy.

Around 120 people packed out Friskney village hall on Saturday to discuss plans for a four turbine windfarm on land off Fen Lane, Wainfleet St Mary.

If RWE Npower Renewables gets permission to build the farm, then the turbines would stand up to 127 metres tall at the tip – higher than the Boston Stump.

Speaking to the crowd, local district councillor Colin Davie warned that the development could open the floodgates to similar applications, and branded any move to “industrialise” the fenlands as the “politics of the madhouse”.

Boston & Skegness MP Mark Simmonds was also scathing of any plans to erect such large turbines in a flat fenland landscape, warning that they would dominate the countryside for miles around.

He acknowledged that the country had to explore alternative energy but stressed that wind had come at the expense of other renewable sources such as hydro-electric.

However he warned that wind had taken too large a slice of the renewables market and added that it had no place in low-lying Lincolnshire.

He vowed that he would do “everything I can” to help the community fight the proposals.

“This very attractive fenland lanscape does not suit these turbines,” he said.

“I will do everything I can to make sure that the fenland is not ruined, either in this instance or in future instances.

“We can do it – but we must pull together as a community to fight it.”

The meeting agreed to set up an action group to fight the plans.

Melvin Grosvenor, who led the successful community campaign against proposals for turbines at Baumber, was one of the speakers at the meeting.

He agreed to use his knowledge to help the Wainfleet group, and was also given a senior role in the fledgling movement.

Also on the panel that chaired the meeting were Lincolnshire councillor Neil Cooper and district councillor John Upsall. They were also heavily critical of plans for a windfarm at Wainfleet St Mary. If erected the new farm’s turbines would be half as tall again as the two turbines at Croft.

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2011/01/26/wainfleet-attacks-mad-wind-plans/