September 22, 2011
England

Relief as farmers put landscape before wind farm

Hull Daily Mail, www.thisishullandeastriding.co.uk 22 September 2011

Residents have spoken of their relief after plans to build the country’s biggest inland wind farm were shelved.

Energy giant Scottish Power has scrapped proposals for a massive wind farm stretching 1,700 acres across Holderness.

Geoffrey and Joan Clipson would have been able to see the turbines from their Long Riston home and are relieved the plans are not now going ahead.

Mr Clipson, 72, said: “I can see why they would want to build them here as it is very windy but this proposal would ruin the landscape and our view.

“Long may the landowners continue putting the landscape first.”

Mr Clipson said the proposal for up to 26 giant turbines could have had a negative impact on the value of their home in Rise Close.

He said: “I don’t see the point in them, looking at the amount of electricity they generate.”

However, residents are being warned energy businesses will continue to eye up East Yorkshire in the “gold rush” for speculative wind farms.

Wind farm companies have inundated farmers and landowners for a decade with lucrative offers and more are expected.

East Yorkshire has become a target for wind farms, with landowners receiving between £20,000 and £30,000 a year for each turbine on their land.

Land agent Ralph Ward, managing director of Frank Hill & Son in Patrington, said wind farm companies had been targeting the area for ten years.

He said: “We represent farmers who have been inundated by businesses asking if they would be interested in having turbines on their land.

“They are looking for people willing to have large and small wind farms on their property and it is a very speculative business.

“We have not been involved in the Scottish Power proposal, but many other schemes are bound to come along.”

Mr Ward said wind farm schemes which got to the planning stage were “just the tip of the iceberg”.

He said: “A lot of the proposals are so speculative, they are a waste of time and the companies fall by the wayside.

“Some farmers don’t want to get involved because they are also members of communities that want to remain unspoilt.

“It is a personal matter, but some farmers see wind farms as a diversification to create extra income.”

Most landowners in the area Scottish Power was targeting say they had not been contacted by the energy company.

Farmer John Hepworth, of Rolston, near Hornsea, said: “We were not approached about this frivolously stupid scheme.

“I have never seen a scheme like this before, and to spread the turbines over so much land is really beyond a joke.

“As far as I’m concerned, it was a speculative fabrication that really nobody knew anything about.

“Farmers don’t stand in the way of progress, but this was not realistic, totally unprofessional, and no wonder there was no interest.”