January 30, 2014
England

Chesters community feels pressure under turbine seige

The Southern Reporter | 30 January 2014 | www.thesouthernreporter.co.uk

There will be a wind turbine for every single house in Chesters if proposals for schemes at Highlee Hill and Cummings Hill get the green light.

And, according to campaigners fighting applications from reneweable energy firms, RES and Infinis, respectively, all of the turbines would be higher than 125m.

RES has lodged a scoping request in connection with its proposals to erect up to 37 turbines on a site at Highlee Hill, at Dykeraw.

An application has been lodged by Infinis for seven turbines at Cummings Hill and there are also schemes pending for nearby Windy Edge (Infinis) and Birney Knowe (Banks Group).

And there are fresh concerns that not just Chesters, but also nearby Jedburgh, will struggle to cope with the hundreds of journeys by construction vehicles every single day that will be involved if the schemes do go ahead.

And with construction programme times ranging from an estimated nine months to the 20-month programme that would be needed for Windy Edge, Philip Kerr, vice-chairman of Southdean Community Council, says it is no wonder the local community feels surrounded.

“All of these developments could be happening at the same time, and traffic from all four are planned to go through Chesters,” said Mr Kerr.

“It’s a huge effort for the community council to handle all these developments and it’s no surprise the people of Chesters feel mentally battered.”

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2014/01/30/chesters-community-feels-pressure-under-turbine-seige/