September 30, 2011
England

Ill wind blows turbine mania

Milton Keynes Citizen, www.miltonkeynes.co.uk 30 September 2011

Massive wind turbines almost as tall as the London Eye could “utterly dominate” the landscape around Milton Keynes in a few years’ time, claimed objectors this week.

As protests hotted up about bids to build wind farms on three separate local sites, residents spoke of fears that ‘turbinemania’ will erupt.

While green campaigners praise the turbines for their ecological benefits, countryside lovers predict the structures, all at least 125 metres high, will become massive blots on the landscape.

Already Milton Keynes, despite the fact that it is a low wind area, has become a popular choice among the rapidly growing number of green energy companies.

At Stoke Heights, land between Stoke Goldington and Hanslope, a plan from Ecotricity to erect 15 turbines, all 125 metres high, will be considered by Milton Keynes Council on October 13.

Furious residents have formed a Save our Salcey action group, saying the structures will ruin the historic forest.

Meanwhile Npower is proposing to build five 127 metre high structures between Little Linford and Haversham, on land the company prettily names Orchard Close.

Families are already fighting the plan, saying the turbines would be less than 500 metres from homes.

A few miles south, the Stop Dorcas Lane Turbines action group is battling to prevent another five turbine from being built by another company, Force 9 Energy, just outside Bletchley.

Last week theylaunched the Final Straw, collecting and stacking tractor loads of hay, which will be sold to help fund their fighting fund.

Action group member Andy Nash said: “To fight this application will take time and money, and this rather unusual activity demonstrates the strength of resolve within the local community.”

In Haversham and Little Linford, protesters are looking to the future and fearing a flood of applications around the city boundaries.

Already they have counted more than 20 wind farm proposals within a 30 mile radius, said objector Patrick Upton.

He predicts the height of each new turbine development will increase steadily until they top 300 metres or more.

“If we are not careful these massive turbines will utterly and totally dominate the landscape of the countryside around Milton Keynes,” he said.

> The proximity of turbines to houses will come under debate at Milton Keynes Council on Tuesday October 11. Currently the minimum distance is 350 metres but protesters are pushing for this to be substantially increased.

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2011/09/30/ill-wind-blows-turbine-mania/