May 18, 2012
England

Anger over lorries near houses

North-West Evening Mail, www.nwemail.co.uk 18 May 2012

Angry residents have voiced their concerns over a planned five-turbine windfarm at Haverigg.

A packed annual Millom town meeting heard residents raise fears about the volume of traffic that would pass along local roads during the build.

Plans submitted to Copeland Borough Council, by Partnership for Renewables, show that lorries will make more than 2,000 trips to the windfarm site, on land opposite HMP Haverigg, throughout the process.

A total of 1,042 lorries carrying cement, gravel and other aggregates would travel to the site, off North Lane.

A further 52 special large loads would travel from Port Millom carrying parts of the wind turbines. Speaking at the meeting, residents raised concerns over the weight limits on Palmers Lane railway bridge – some suggesting the weight of the lorries would need to be known before the plans could proceed.

The impact on the landscape made by the 120.5-metre high turbines was also questioned.

Others who spoke at the meeting raised fears it may open the door to further wind turbine developments in the area.

Millom Town Councillor Frank McPhillips said: “As far as I’m concerned there are too many of them already.”

Councillor Jack Park suggested the railway bridge would become an “accident black spot”, while Councillor Doug Wilson said: “I don’t think it (wind power) is something the country should be focusing on. I think we have been sold a pup.”

Chairing the meeting, Councillor Audrey Gabbert, who lives in Haverigg, said: “What a lot of people aren’t aware of is that a lot of the older houses in Haverigg don’t have foundations.

“It just cost us quite a lot of money having the front of the house shored up, so I’m not looking forward to all this traffic going past.”

It was decided at the meeting that residents who wished to oppose the plans would write to Copeland Borough Council planning department individually with their objections.

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2012/05/18/anger-over-lorries-near-houses/