August 14, 2012
England, Opinions

Treasured landscapes more important than energy targets

David Hinde | Hull Daily Mail | www.thisishullandeastriding.co.uk 13 August 2012

There will be many in Yorkshire who appreciate the beauty and heritage of what is reputed to be England’s oldest inhabited village – Rudston on the Wolds.

Its standing stone, the Rudston Monolith, the tallest standing stone in England, bigger than any at Stonehenge, stands at about 25ft.

In Rudston Churchyard and within the same churchyard lies the grave of Winifred Holtby, authoress of South Riding, recently portrayed in the ITV series of the same name.

Born at Rudston House, Holtby celebrated the beauty of the Wolds village she was brought up in, bringing the beauty of the Wolds to her worldwide readers, before dying young at the age of 37.

Hundreds of visitors visit the grave and the monolith each year.

Holtby would be mortified by the current proposals for one of the farm super large turbines at 218ft (66.7m) proposed at land at Springdale Farm, High Street, Rudston, on elevated land immediately adjacent to the scenic B-road across the Wolds from Bridlington to Sledmere.

It is almost nine times the height of the monolith.

Supported by the same planning agents, George F White, who submitted the withdrawn Bempton turbine at Cliff Lane, which was proposed at 47m, this application for the Rudston turbine will loom over the centre of the village at Rudston and have intrusive visual impact on views from that churchyard and Holtby’s grave and from the monolith.

Plans for a turbine of similar height was recently submitted at Cottam but objected to by the MoD and there is one at this height planned for Wold Newton, as attempts are made to set a precedent for even higher farm turbines that have no relation to farm energy needs but to set higher and higher levels of turbines in what is supposed to be the Wolds landscape protection area.

I ask your readers to ensure these super large farm turbines in our Wolds heritage villages are strongly objected to by lodging your objections with East Riding Council.

A High Court ruling recently stated the preservation of treasured landscapes should take precedence over renewable energy targets and there is every reason why the ancient neolithic landscapes of Rudston and its literary heritage should be protected by all who are concerned with the beauty of the Wolds and its villages.

I also call on English Heritage to play their part in protecting the views from the ancient monuments in the Rudston area and the sense of place that visitors to Rudston have enjoyed for centuries.

David Hinde is Bridlington Town Crier and lives in Bempton


URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2012/08/14/treasured-landscapes-more-important-than-energy-targets/