December 18, 2012
England

Grantham MP Nick Boles calls for homes and wind turbines to be kept apart

Grantham Journal | 18 December 2012 | www.granthamjournal.co.uk

MP for Grantham and Planning Minister Nick Boles has called for a “minimum separation distance” between homes and wind turbines

Speaking in the House of Commons, Mr Boles stated his support for Lincolnshire County Council’s proposal that there be a minimum distance of two kilometres (1.4 miles) between wind turbines and homes.

Mr Boles made his remarks following a comment by MP for Sleaford and North Hykeham Stephen Phillips.

Mr Phillips said: “It is fair to say that the localism agenda which the Government has pursued has done much to involve local people in the planning process, but there’s considerable support in Lincolnshire and across the country for these minimum separation distances.

“They do a lot to encourage public support for onshore wind and allay people’s concerns and I hope that his department will look seriously at this issue and come back to this House so he can tell us what he’s going to do.”

In reply, Mr Boles said: “He and I represent neighbouring constituencies and, like him, I believe that a minimum separation distance might be appropriate in our flat Fenland landscape.

“That’s why before my appointment as planning minister I supported Lincolnshire County Council’s wind energy position statement and urged my planning authority to reflect it in their local plan.

“But not all of England is like Lincolnshire, sadly for the rest of England. A top-down national policy that ignores local variations in topography and local opinion would be wrong.”


URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2012/12/18/grantham-mp-nick-boles-calls-for-homes-and-wind-turbines-to-be-kept-apart/