April 17, 2012
England

Mixed response at Harringe Brooks Wind Park open day

www.thisiskent.co.uk 16 April 2012

There was a mixed response from Sellindge residents at the public open day for Harringe Brooks Wind Park which took place at the village hall in Sellindge today.

At the open day, arranged by green energy provider Ecotricity, residents were able to find out more details about the company’s plan to build six wind turbines on land south of the M20, near Sellindge and west of Lympne.

The Harringe Brooks Wind Park would provide around 11,800 homes with green energy, according to the company. Ecotricity are currently preparing for the final submission of their planning application to Shepway District Council.

Many residents expressed their concerns. “I haven’t slept for a week”, 35-year old Alice Bosley said. “I am from London and I wouldn’t have bought my house around here if I knew these wind turbines would be built. They will be very close to my home.

“My husband is a bee keeper and he believes there’s evidence to suggest wind turbines are affecting bees. The turbines create a low pressure area and that means the bees won’t come out of their hives again.”

Mr and Mrs Black, 75 and 73, are also not very pleased with the proposals. “We would see the wind turbines from our house”, Mrs. Black said. “We have lived in Sellindge all our lives and it’s gradually being spoiled. We already have a lorry park nearby and now we’ll be getting these windmills. They are dumping everything on us”, her husband added.

However Mrs. Bishop, 78, is very positive about the possible wind park. “I personally think those wind turbines look beautiful in the sun light. I understand people don’t want them in their back garden, but we have to realise that fossil fuels are running out. I think we take electricity for granted. We need to invest in renewable energy.”

Outside the Village Hall, some residents handed out leaflets against the wind park plans. “The wind farm would be less than 600 metres from Sellindge homes”, 73-year old Ronald Lello, chairman of Sellindge Residents Association said. “We believe we have legitimate reasons to legally object to these proposals.”

Ecotricity underlined it has done a comprehensive study to ensure the site is suitable. “We have carried out an extensive Environmental Impact Assessment, which looks at all aspects of the natural environment in and around the site. This includes wildlife and bird studies”, Stuart Brennan, head of Public Relations at Ecotricity said.

“We have a collective responsibility to cut carbon emissions. Britain has forty percent of Europe’s entire wind resource. That’s freely available so we should use that. We think it’s important to make the UK energy independent.

“There will always be people who don’t like the wind park. But I think the majority of people are in favour of it.”

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2012/04/17/mixed-response-at-harringe-brooks-wind-park-open-day/