April 4, 2014
England

Mayor warns of countryside being swallowed up by new offshore wind farm industries

The Yorkshire Post | 04 April 2014 | www.yorkshirepost.co.uk

Developments linked to Siemens will see the countryside between Hull and a nearby village swallowed up by industry, a councillor has warned.

Mayor of Hedon John Dennis said in future people going home to Paull would “drive through industry.”

Not only is the 200-acre field between Paull Road and the river Hull earmarked for a blade, and possibly tower factory, linked with Siemens’ new factory on Alexandra Dock, but the 400-acre field to the east has been earmarked for supply chain industries.

Coun Dennis said it was a price worth paying for the hundreds of new jobs, but building hundreds of thousands of square feet of factory space and roads caused concern on the flooding front, about emissions and noise and the loss of identity to Hedon and Paull.

He said: “Generally speaking it is good news and I would hope that both Hedon and Paull get the benefit of youngsters getting apprenticeships and people getting jobs.

“But we have to be aware of the impacts that are likely to be caused and we have to mitigate them as best as we can.

“We understand that as well as the blades – which are as long as a football field – for the turbines there’s a good chance they could make the towers there as well.

“There will be further development on an area twice as large east of Paull Road which will have further impacts on Hedon – adding to the flood risk and loss of identity.

“We have had meetings with planners and will continue to meet with planning and exert whatever pressure we can to offer the best result.”

The 400-acre field, closer to Hedon, has been put forward by Associated British Ports, which is working with Siemens on the Green Port proposals, for inclusion in the local plan, the blueprint for development till 2029.

He said council leader Steve Parnaby had made assurances that a local development order – which is equivalent to planning permission – for the blade factory site came with a number of conditions and that officers would continue to listen to local views.

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2014/04/04/mayor-warns-of-countryside-being-swallowed-up-by-new-offshore-wind-farm-industries/