July 18, 2013
England

Nearly 800 people sign protest petition

By Andrew Clarke | 18 July 2013 | www.in-cumbria.com

Campaigners against a proposed wind turbine say they have had an overwhelming response to their protest.

Almost 800 people have signed a petition to object to the 70m-high turbine proposed for farmland in Winder, near Frizington.

Richard Wilson, speaking on behalf of the protestors, said: “We were concerned that the turbine would be visible from many parts of our area, but because most properties would be outside the council’s area of notification, they would not get to know about it.

“Therefore, we have been going door-to-door to raise awareness and we have been surprised by the strength of feeling and we have nearly 800 individually-signed letters of objection.

“In our opinion, this shows the strength of local feeling against a turbine in such close proximity to the Lake District.

“People have raised concern that should this turbine be approved, it would open up the area from Egremont to Cockermouth which currently hosts very little commercial wind generation.”

The group plans to hand the petition to Copeland Council this week, ahead of a decision being taken, most likely at the planning panel’s August meeting. Members are expected to request a site visit beforehand.

Further objections have also been made by Lamplugh Parish Council and Arlecdon and Frizington Parish Council.

Agents NEO-Environmental says that the applicant intends to offer a one-off sum of £50,000 to local parishes to compensate for the disruption and negative impacts. The firm adds that a full range of surveys and assessments has been completed. The lifespan of the turbine is 25 years.

Those who wish to support the campaign are asked to email winderghyllobjections@gmail.com.

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2013/07/18/nearly-800-people-sign-protest-petition/