October 11, 2012
England

Report boosts battle against wind turbines in Lichfield and Burntwood

Lichfield Live | October 11, 2012 | lichfieldlive.co.uk

Campaigners fighting plans for wind turbines in Lichfield and Burntwood are set to be given a boost when a new report into such developments is published.

Staffordshire County Council’s cabinet are set to hear recommendations that wind farm applications should be refused unless they can show “real benefits” to people living in the areas around them.

Cllr Mark Winnington will also tell his colleagues that large scale turbine developments should be at least 2km from residential areas.

“Staffordshire has some outstanding landscapes and architectural landmarks which cannot be compromised by large scale wind energy developments,” he said. “Similarly we do not want to see them anywhere where they could have a detrimental impact on the local economy, particularly our ever expanding tourism industry.

“We understand the need for renewable energy sources and that wind turbines contribute to lowering carbon emissions. However they need to be in the right locations and have proper assessments and checks carried out during the planning process.

“Staffordshire is a predominantly rural county and we do not want to see the industrialisation of areas through such developments. The local economy and improving people’s quality of life are top priorities for the county council and we don’t want to see them negatively impacted upon as a result of wind turbine developments.”

The full report is available on the Staffordshire County Council website.

A public debate on wind power will take place this Saturday (13th) at Wade Street Church from 11am until 1pm. Chaired by Michael Fabricant MP and featuring experts on wind power it will ask attendees for their views on wind farms.

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2012/10/11/report-boosts-battle-against-wind-turbines-in-lichfield-and-burntwood/