July 27, 2012
England

Wind turbine protest at council

Staffordshire Newsletter | www.staffordshirenewsletter.co.uk

Campaigners scrambled their forces to protest against plans to power an egg farm with wind turbines.

Some 60 objectors sporting T shirts and banners turned up outside county buildings ahead of a meeting of Stafford Borough Council on Tuesday night.

They handed a petition with more than 1,600 names to Councillor Jeremy Pert who presented it to full council.

The residents are objecting to the planned installation of two 118-feet-high wind turbines at Aspley House Farm in Slindon although no planning application has yet been submitted.

Campaigner Mike Smith said: “We don’t think they are very effective or efficient. We are in an area of low wind speed so we don’t think they would operate at any more than 20 per cent of capacity.

That would only be sufficient to boil five kettles at once.

“We don’t like the fact that the feed-in tariff is heavily subsidised by the government at the tax-payers’ expense and the visual impact is deplorable.”

Another resident Mick Smith said: “I would say 95 per cent of the residents are against it. We are not against renewable energy. It’s just about the right sort in the right place.”

Helen Bonsall, who runs a nearby bed and breakfast, said: “I’m quite worried about the effect it will have on my business.”

Ward Councillor Jeremy Pert told the council: “There are under 100 residents, no more than 50 houses but this potentially affects 13 other villages.”

Before the meeting Councillor Frank Chapman, also a ward member, said: “These things wouldn’t be erected if it wasn’t for the massive subsidies involved.

“Why should we have our countryside defaced because of massive subsidies.”

Alan Warrington outlined his plans at a meeting of Eccleshall parish council in May.

Mr Warrington, who already has solar panels installed at the property, said he expected to make a decision on submitting a planning application soon.

He said: “I’m still keen on increasing the percentage of power I use from renewable resources.”


URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2012/07/27/wind-turbine-protest-at-council/