July 15, 2011
Editorials, England

Fenland wind farm appeals overturned due to Government’s lack of fair play

Wisbech Standard, www.wisbechstandard.co.uk 15 July 2011

So once more we discover that the Government is disinclined to trust local opinion over the positioning and number of wind turbines to be allowed in Fenland.

For years councillors, and notably the previous leader of Fenland District Council Geoff Harper, have screamed that enough is enough and yet still they come like some relentless robotic army on the march.

Fenland councillors rejected schemes at Burnt House Fen and Floods Ferry for the simple reason they believe this area has done more than might reasonably be asked of it by way of this particular form of renewable energy. It simply said up with this we will not put, and told those chancing their luck once again to move off.

However this is where it all got a bit messy. The inspector who conducted both inquiries clearly sided with the developers, pointing out the economic benefits far outweighed local concerns over proliferation or any possible but unproven side effect.

Eric Pickles, the Government minister with the final say, did at least have the good grace to reject the turbines for Floods Ferry but agreed with his inspector to allow those near Whittlesey at Burnt House Fen.

That, on our reckoning, means Fenland has around 50 either operational or approved turbines. That puts us into the super league of local authorities who, despite assurances to the contrary, are still not getting a single penny knocked off our fuel bills.

In other parts of Cambridgeshire a vociferous campaign by residents has seen off, to a greater extent, the imposition of wind turbines on anything approaching this scale.

The fact that Fenland folk have chosen, mostly, to acquiesce in the face of the growth of wind farms has been taken advantage of yet again by a cosy consortia of developers and a Government unwilling to bring a sense of fair play into the picture.


URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2011/07/15/fenland-wind-farm-appeals-overturned-due-to-governments-lack-of-fair-play/