July 19, 2011
England

Residents’ anger over wind turbines appeal

Fenland Citizen, www.fenlandcitizen.co.uk 19 July 2011

A fresh move to build three wind turbines in a remote Fenland area has angered a nearby resident.

Kieron Gibbs and Joanna West-Robinson, who live on West Fen Drove in Turves, were shocked when a previously rejected planning application was granted on appeal by Eric Pickles, the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government.

The three wind turbines can now be built at Burnt House Farm, around 400 to 500 metres from Kieron and Joanna’s house, to the dismay of the couple who thought the plan’s rejection was a “done deal”.

Kieron said: “We only bought this house around 18 months ago. The planning application had been chucked out.

“Now we could lose 20 to 30 per cent of our house value, if we wanted to sell. We have an elderly neighbour. What if she needs money from the sale of her house? She is petrified she won’t be able to sell it.”

The news that the Burnt House Farm application was granted has also angered Ian Edgar, from anti-turbine campaign group FenRats, who said: “Once again, it’s national government overruling local government. The government doesn’t care about local people.”

Kieron believes he and Joanna should be compensated for the loss in the value of their house, as is the practice in some other countries. He was shocked to discover the large sums of money paid to developers for building wind farms and to farmers who have the turbines on their land, as revealed in a Sunday newspaper article recently.

The Burnt House Farm plan was appealed at the same time as a plan to build nine turbines at Flood’s Ferry Farm. The Flood’s Ferry appeal was rejected by Mr Pickles, despite planning inspector Jill Kingaby recommending it be granted.

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2011/07/19/residents-anger-over-wind-turbines-appeal/