October 30, 2011
England

Wind farm protest

Pontefract & Castleford Express, www.pontefractandcastlefordexpress.co.uk 30 October 2011

Angry residents marched through the streets of Womersley last week to protest against plans to build an eight-turbine wind farm near the village.

The Cridling Stubbs and Womersley Wind Farm Action Group – which is objecting to Waste Recycling Group’s (WRG) plan for the development on the Darrington Quarry site – flew a blimp marked with the word “no” near the position of one of the proposed turbines when North Yorkshire County Council planning chiefs visited the site last Thursday.

The group wanted to show the visual effect the 125-metre high turbines would have on the area.

Dr Robert Klaasen, chairman of the action group, said: “Thankfully it was a very clear day so the blimp was used to its full potential.

“The sight of the blimp even shocked some of the protestors who hadn’t realised how high it was going to be – so you can only imagine what it would be like with eight of them.

“I think we got the point across that the 90m test mast, which WRG first erected, did not give a representation of how high the tip of the wind turbine blade would be.”

Selby councillor Gillian Ivey, who is supporting the group, said: “I have every confidence that North Yorkshire County Council’s planning committee will reject the application, not least because it is on green belt land.

“Eight turbines, each 125m high will not blend into to the countryside.”

North Yorkshire County Council and Wakefield Council will decide on WRG’s planning application after planning officers have prepared their reports.

A WRG spokeswoman said: “WRG was pleased to host a visit of the planning committee at the Darrington Quarry site.

“After the site visit, they took a tour of the adjacent villages to put the site, and proposed turbine locations, into local context.

“The council will now continue to review the application and will decide if it requires any further information from WRG in the light of the site visit, before the application goes to planning committee for determination. This is likely to be early in 2012.”

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2011/10/30/wind-farm-protest-4/