| Wind Watch is a registered educational charity, founded in 2005. |
Nuke monitoring blocks Solway turbines bid
Credit: By Julian Whittle, News & Star, www.newsandstar.co.uk 17 December 2011 ~~
Translate: FROM English | TO English
Translate: FROM English | TO English
The UK’s obligations under the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty appear to have scuppered plans for a windfarm at Solway Moss, near Longtown.
Carlisle city councillors yesterday refused a planning application for nine wind turbines, north of the Longtown-Gretna road, after the Ministry of Defence objected.
It said that vibrations or ‘seismic noise’ could interfere with equipment at Eskdalemuir, near Langholm used to monitor nuclear tests across the globe.
A similar objection led to the refusal of plans for six turbines at Hallburn Farm, east of Longtown, in August.
Conservative councillor Bryan Craig told the meeting: “It would be irresponsible to go against the Ministry of Defence’s concerns about Eskdalemuir.”
The plan from EDF Energy Renewables would have created one of the tallest windfarms in the country with turbines 413ft high to the blade tip.
The council received more than 160 objections and 110 expressions of support for the scheme.
Objectors claimed it would harm the landscape, damage tourism, reduce house prices and potentially cause noise disturbance, shadow flicker and health problems.
Several spoke at yesterday’s meeting.
Annette Trotter, representing the anti-windfarm Solway Moss Protection Committee, claimed the turbines would damage a precious peat bog.
She said: “How can they dump 4,000 tonnes of alkaline concrete into an acidic peat bog, destroying it, and claim it is environmentally friendly?
“Surely our health should be of utmost importance in any decision.”
David Wilson, a farmer from Gretna, claimed that the turbines would be a hazard to birds including thousands of geese that winter on the Solway.
But Tony Scorer, for EDF, said: “Natural England and the RSPB have not objected.
“The Government has investigated the health of people living near windfarms many times and concluded that there is no impact.”
EDF has put forward a solution to the problem of seismic noise. It believes that fitting dampeners to the turbines would reduce it to an acceptable level.
So far the Ministry of Defence is unconvinced.
This article is the work of the source indicated. Any opinions expressed in it are not necessarily those of National Wind Watch.
The copyright of this article resides with the author or publisher indicated. As part of its noncommercial educational effort to present the environmental, social, scientific, and economic issues of large-scale wind power development to a global audience seeking such information, National Wind Watch endeavors to observe “fair use” as provided for in section 107 of U.S. Copyright Law and similar “fair dealing” provisions of the copyright laws of other nations. Send requests to excerpt, general inquiries, and comments via e-mail.
| Wind Watch relies entirely on User Contributions |
 (via Stripe) |
 (via Paypal) |
Share:
[ Short URL: https://wind-watch.org/news/?p=16801 ]
