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Campaign against wind turbine plan gains momentum
Credit: Burton Mail, www.burtonmail.co.uk 14 January 2012 ~~
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Villagers have slammed contentious plans for two 147ft-tall wind turbines over safety fears and impact on the countryside.
Bowler Energy wants to put up the green power development on land between Etwall and Burnaston. If granted, it will generate enough electricity for 80 homes a year.
Burnaston Parish Council held an extraordinary meeting on Thursday night, with nearly 40 people packed into its tiny village hall, in order to gather public opinion on the proposals.
Homeowners are angry about the visual impact on the rural area, low frequency noise, and the impact on wildlife. There was also concerns that the two turbines could set a precedent for a much larger wind farm in the future.
The Burnaston and Etwall Residents Against Turbine Exploitation (BERATE) campaign group announced it had taken on an independent planning consultant to aid its cause.
BERATE member Colin Foords told the meeting: “Although we cannot claim to be an area of outstanding beauty, it’s a very pleasant rural area.
“You will see the houses in the image, they will all have an excellent view of the turbines.
“Recently, in Huddersfield, three caught fire and disintegrated, with pieces flying up to 500 metres away.
“Well, 500 metres is just about at my bedroom window.”
Cattle farmer Graham Hall feared the two turbines could be the ‘death sentence’ for his wife, who suffers with multiple sclerosis, and claimed wind turbines could have health implications.
Residents criticised Bowler Energy’s claim of ‘wider community benefit’ of the electricity, insisting there would be ‘no benefit at all’ to Burnaston.
One cited legislation currently making its way through Parliament which would demand a 1,000m buffer zone between residential areas and turbines of this size.
However, if the law is passed it is unlikely to come into effect in time to impact this application.
Bowler Energy said in its planning application that the negative impacts would be ‘offset by the wider economic and environmental benefit of renewable energy.’
Etwall Parish Council voted earlier this week to object to the plans.
Neighbouring parish council Burnaston is poised to declare its stance in the coming days.
The controversial proposal is set to be discussed by the South Derbyshire District Council planning committee on February 7.
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