October 16, 2012
England

Plan for wind turbine bigger than Big Ben in village opposed by parish council

The Bucks Herald | 16 October 2012 | www.bucksherald.co.uk

Plans to build a wind turbine in a village near Aylesbury have been opposed by the parish council.

Residents have warned the proposal for a 101 metre turbine in Ford will damage the natural beauty of the area and create noise pollution, and Dinton with Ford and Upton Parish Council sided with those against the plans at a meeting.

If built by applicants Ison Fordham and Elgin, it would be taller than Big Ben (96m) and County Hall (60m). However, not everyone is against the plan, with some praising the environmental benefits of the turbine.

Councillor Martin Usherwood, parish council chairman, said: “The main grounds for objections are the visual impact that a tall wind turbine will make in an otherwise open countryside.”

He said the proximity to housing was another reason to oppose it and suggested the amount of energy it would produce will not be enough to balance its impact.

The turbine would be situated 1.6km south of the village in Lower Waldridge Farm, producing 500 to 800kW of energy.

The plans have been open to comment on online and there have been messages of support for the idea.

One nearby resident, Giselle Hyde, wrote: “This must be a good thing to do, making the most of the environment we live in and the dilemma we are facing on how much longer oil will be a sustainable product for us. We welcome this turbine to our area and hope the application is successful.”

But Pauline Risk wrote in her submission: “In my opinion the site is inappropriate for a wind turbine which would dominate the area’s character and appearance. It will stick out like a sore thumb for miles and spoil the countryside.”

An action group, Ford Action Group Against Wind Turbines, is campaigning against the proposals, which go before district planners on November 20.

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2012/10/16/plan-for-wind-turbine-bigger-than-big-ben-in-village-opposed-by-parish-council/