January 17, 2012
England

Naseby wind farm battle is taken to the House of Lords

By Wayne Bontoft, Northampton Chronicle & Echo, www.northamptonchron.co.uk 17 January 2012

Lord Naseby is to tackle the Government about plans to build a wind farm next to the historic Battle of Naseby site in Northamptonshire.

A planning inspector last month overturned Daventry District Council’s decision to block energy firm EON’s plans to build six turbines near the Naseby battlefield.

The decision was labelled “disgraceful” by the area’s MP, Chris Heaton-Harris, and strongly criticised by historians, who said the move would damage views of the battlefield for generations.

To highlight opposition to the plans, Lord Naseby was due to raise the issue in the House of Lords this afternoon, when he was expected to ask whether the Government would intervene in the issue. The Lord’s involvement has been welcomed by historians who have been campaigning for years to boost Naseby’s reputation on the international stage.

Martin Marix Evans, who has written books on Naseby and is trustee of the Battlefields Trust, said: “I hope the Government’s ministers will realise how important this is when it’s brought up in the House of Lords.

“It’s great that Lord Naseby has decided to take the issue up. He’s doing an immense amount of work for the battlefield at the moment and is really helping us with our project to build a visitor centre close to the battle site.

“Hopefully the people in power will take notice of Naseby now it is being mentioned on such a big stage.”

The planning inspector allowed the wind farm development to go ahead despite admitting the turbines would harm the battlefield.

He argued the damage would be minimised because the turbines would be taken down in 25 years’ time.

EON have also said they firmly believed the wind farm ‘represents the right technology , in the right location to ensure energy security and combat climate change’.

Hundreds of soldiers died in the battle between Parliament’s New Model Army and King Charles I’s Royalist forces at Naseby on June 14, 1645.

The key battle of the civil war is recognised as one of the most important ever to be fought on British soil.

It led to the creation of the modern system of Parliamentary democracy.

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2012/01/17/naseby-wind-farm-battle-is-taken-to-the-house-of-lords/