November 1, 2013
England

Fears for swans if wind turbines are built near Thoresby Bridge

Grimsby Telegraph | 1 November 2013 | www.grimsbytelegraph.co.uk

Campaigners are aiming to defend a decision to stop wind turbines being built in a wildlife habitat.

The land near Thoresby Bridge is home to scores of swans who have settled near Louth Canal.

They flew in to the joy of nearby residents after none were seen last year – blamed by campaigners on the erection of an anemometer mast to measure wind speeds last year.

That was before East Lindsey District Council planners rejected the proposal by Partnership For Renewables Ltd, for three 110-metre-high turbines along the canal side in April, on the grounds of the impact it would have on the landscape.

Partnerships for Renewables Ltd has appealed, and a hearing will take place at ELDC’s Manby offices on January 21.

The firm said the planners’ decision was made on “highly subjective grounds”.

Lincolnshire county councillor for Tetney and North Cotes, Tony Bridges, said: “Habitats for wildlife are very important. I am a proponent of wind farms off-shore but dead against them on-shore because of the industrialisation of the landscape and their cumulative impact. We have wonderful open skies.

“Enough is enough. In East Lindsey we have already met the 25 per cent target for wind renewables for the whole of the East Midlands.

“One of the main economic drivers for East Lindsey is tourism. We can’t expect Mr and Mrs Joe Public and their children to come on holiday and have to sit under a wind turbine.”

Campaigner for The Marsh Wind Farm Action Group (MWAG) Jill Lingard has opposed wind farm applications for ten years.

She said: “The swans have been there for years. There is also a habitat for golden plovers, which are protected.”

MWAG are fighting several windfarm applications between Humberston and Marshchapel – equating to 41 individual turbines.

These include two existing and eight in planning at Bishopthorpe Farm, Tetney, eight at Brickyard Farm, Fulstow, and four 125 metres high at Damswell Farm, Ludborough.

An ELDC spokesman said: “Our planning committee refused the planning application because of the impact the proposed windfarm would have on the local area. We will defend our decision at appeal.”

Jerry Sturman, regional manager at PfR said: “While the Secretary of State’s decision to call-in the Louth Canal appeal will inevitably cause further delay to the final outcome of the project, we remain confident in the quality of the Louth Canal project. We welcome the fact that our proposal has received more than 600 letters of support, including from many of the residents in closest proximity to the site.

“Furthermore, East Lindsey District Council, Natural England and the RSPB have no outstanding concerns relating to swans and have concurred with our detailed assessment of the effects on bird species which demonstrates that no significant effects are predicted on any bird species”.


URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2013/11/01/fears-for-swans-if-wind-turbines-are-built-near-thoresby-bridge/