Hexham Courant | www.hexhamcourant.co.uk 6 August 2012
Anti-windfarm campaigners have met a politician from Lincolnshire who introduced measures at his local authority to tackle the excessive spread of wind turbines.
Leader of Lincolnshire County Council, Coun. Martin Hill, met protest groups and Conservative county councillors who want decisive action to be taken in Tynedale and elsewhere in Northumberland.
Lincolnshire recently hit the headlines after introducing measures such as a ban on new turbines within 2kms of homes and lending active support to campaign groups.
Deputy leader of the Northumberland Conservatives, Coun. Glen Sanderson, who chaired the meeting said: “It was tremendously helpful to hear directly from a politician who has led radical action against the encroachment of wind turbines.
“Representatives from resident groups from across our county have shared ideas about how our council could do more to help local people stand up to well-resourced developers.
“The Conservative council group has listened and will now reflect upon the most effective action we can take in defence of our very special landscape.
“The success of any action will rely upon support from the Lib Dem council administration, which sadly chose not to support our recent call for an urgent consultation into the spread of turbines.”
The meeting followed a call by Coun. Sanderson for Northumberland County Council to introduce a moratorium on windfarm applications until a sound and sustainable policy is drawn up by the authority.
However, at a council meeting in April, this was dismissed as it was ruled the council had no legal power to prevent plans being submitted.
Instead, a majority of members voted to look at the issue as part of a review of the council’s Local Development Framework (LDF).
Council leader Coun. Jeff Reid dismissed the latest Conservative move as a “political stunt”, adding that unless policies on windfarm applications were formalised through the council’s planning guidance, the authority would be left open to expensive appeals from developers.
“We are consulting with residents through the LDF and I would urge everybody to get involved,” he said.
URL to article: https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2012/08/06/taking-a-leaf-out-of-lincolnshires-book/