David Bellamy speaks out against wind farms 

Environmentalist David Bellamy has spoken out on how wind farms are destroying our landscapes for profit.

In an interview with The Journal he claims companies are profiting from green energy plans which end up doing more harm to the environment than good, and push up electricity prices.

Dr Bellamy, 78, who lives in Weardale, County Durham, and has been awarded an OBE for his conservation work, said: “Wind farms do not work. They are a blot on the landscape.”

The campaigner explained: “Every turbine you put up has to have back-up electricity produced because the wind goes up and down, it is inconsistent.

“Wind farms are totally useless environmentally. But there are people who are getting a vast amount of money just to put these things up. And who pays for them? The people who use the electricity in Britain. The more wind farms we put up the more electricity costs.

“The impact of that is energy is now so expensive we’re at the stage now where people have to say for winter ‘Is it food, or is it fuel?’

“Last year some old people were actually going around to the second-hand shops and buying books and burning them to keep warm – it’s that bad.”

Dr Bellamy believes the environmental effects of wind farms are totally unacceptable. He added: “I’ve noticed the impact of wind farms on Country Durham, you can’t fail to.

“Its not just me, I’ve worked with artists going around painting what these stunning landscapes would look like with these monsters going up. There’s a number of areas in Weardale and Teesdale where there are proposals in and they could happen. But I’m keeping up the campaigning.”

A wind farm bid is to be assessed by planners in County Durham next week.

Banks Renewables, part of the Banks Group, has developed proposals for a 10-turbine scheme, to be sited on land to the North East of Barmpton, around three miles east of the A1.

The first Moor House wind farm proposal was rejected by the council’s planning committee in November last year, primarily on the grounds of the scheme’s visual impact. A renewed bid is now to be looked at. Dr Bellamy said he first became involved in the issues surrounding wind turbines when he was working for Blue Peter in 1996.

He said: “Some children in Wales had asked us to get involved , as they knew the area had been picked out to have a wind farm. The BBC took this up. I tried to sit on the fence, as I was with the BBC, but the kids were wonderful and so erudite.

“I do believe that area has never had wind farms on it. That was it. I’ve been campaigning against wind farms ever since. I think it’s 57 different groups I’ve helped.”

Dr Bellamy is of the opinion all wind farms are a waste of time, and believes the Government is starting to recognise this. He added: “Recently more wind farms have been turned down than have gone through.

“Right now our Government is turning around and seeing the errors of their ways. The solution to energy problems certainly isn’t wind turbines. I don’t think the Government actually thought it out.

“I think the whole thing is cracking very quickly – but so many people are making so much money out of it around the world so we keep plugging away building these hideous wind farms.”