December 19, 2012
Opinions, Scotland

Wind turbine application at Beck Burn Longtown Carlisle

Planning Application: 10/1102; Appeal Ref: 12/2170838

I am Eileen Naude and have lived in the Longtown area over 30 years and would like to express my opposition to the proposed development.

I am in favour of renewable energy but there are more efficient ways of generating green electricity than wind. Had this been solar development (as our local City Council are doing by installing olar panels on council houses) I would have been wholly in favour, biomass, other than the traffic involved, would be fine but I do have a problem with massive, inefficient wind turbines – their destructive impact on the landscape, on the local residents amenity, the potentially damaging effects to health and to the wide spectrum of both resident and migratory wild fowl we get, but my biggest concern is the cumulative impact this area is being threatened with. Within 30km of Beck Burn there is:

If we include the Beck Burn application, we have an operating and proposed total of 155 turbines within a 30km radius, this figure does not include applications being received for single turbines over 15m.

Bearing in mind this regions income and employment is primarily generated by agriculture, the MOD and tourism – agriculture is a reducing employer due to increased mechansation and use of contractors for seasonal work and the local MOD depot being threatened with closure, this leaves tourism as the only potential growth area we have and more and more, it is being proved that turbines deter visitors which, combined with recently announced electricity and gas price increases to fund power development, this will reduce this beautiful and historic part of the borders area to a wasteland, no jobs and fuel poverty!

I would also like to bring up a press release of 19 May 2012 by EPAW (European Platform against Windfarms) which states The Compliance Committee of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe, which enforces the Aarhus Convention to which the EU is a party, requires public participation occurring when all options are still open, not when policies are already set in stone. The authorities are required to ensure and document that in the resulting decision, due account is taken of the outcome of public participation. The UN Compliance Committee found, on 29 April 2012, that the EU did not comply with the provisions of the Convention in connection with its programme of “20% renewable energy by 2020”, and its implementation throughout the 27 Member States by National Renewable Energy Action Plans (NREAP). In particular, the Compliance Committee opines that the EU did not ensure that the public had been provided with the necessary information within a transparent and fair framework, allowing sufficient time for citizens to become informed and to participate effectively in the decision process. It appears that EU’s renewable energy programme as it currently stands is now proceeding without ‘proper authority’. The public’s right to be informed and to participate in its development and implementation has been by-passed. The Convention is part of EU law and there is now a legal ruling that this law has not been complied with. There are long established legal procedures where if a Member State does not comply with EU law, the citizens can seek ‘damages made good’ What we have in the EU is a travesty of public participation in a policy having hugely negative impacts on the environment and the economy.”

Please uphold Carlisle City Councils original decision to refuse the planning application and allow the area to continue its recuperation from the devastation it suffered during and after the Foot and Mouth outbreak of 2001.

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2012/12/19/wind-turbine-application-at-beck-burn-longtown-carlisle/

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