April 25, 2014
England

Anger over Church’s plans for wind turbine

By Rachel Gorman | April 25, 2014 | www.nottinghampost.com

Residents say the Church is “putting profit before people” by applying for permission to build two wind turbines.

Members of two community action groups have condemned the applications by the Diocese of Southwell and Nottingham to build the generators at sites in Upper Broughton and Elston.

A protest meeting is planned for Sunday at Upper Broughton Village Hall, in Melton Road, from 10am until 4pm.

David Sankey, 69, of Top Street, Elston, helped form the Resist campaign group – Residents of Elston Spurn Inappropriately Sited Turbines.

He said: “The turbine is going to be 102 metres high, which is six metres bigger than Big Ben and higher than Lincoln Cathedral. It is just unacceptable and immoral.

“This isn’t something the church should be doing and churchgoers here have been unimpressed by this. They are putting profit before people.”

Upper Broughton-based action group Voices Against Turbine, which organised the meeting, is pleased Rushcliffe MP Kenneth Clarke will be attending.

Jane Fraser, 49, who has lived in Mill Lane, Hickling, for 24 years said the group were not Nimbys or in denial about global warming but questioned the benefits of wind turbines.

She said: “The first thing everybody always jumps to is the Nimby argument but people don’t look into things properly until it does happen near you.”

Mrs Fraser highlighted issues including the impact on the landscape and suggested adverse health implications as reasons against the scheme.

The application for the construction of a 102-metre wind turbine on land off Brecks Lane in Elston was received by Newark and Sherwood Borough Council on October 21 last year. A second application was received by Rushcliffe Borough Council on March 11 for a 67-metre wind turbine on land off Melton Road, in Upper Broughton.

Rushcliffe MP Kenneth Clarke told the Post he was sympathetic to the villagers’ concerns and would be attending the meeting on Sunday to find out more details.

He said: “My first reaction was that it seems like an unsuitable location for a wind turbine. I am not against wind turbines, nor am I in favour of them just being built in areas which aren’t Rushcliffe.

“But looking at Western Europe, it seems that outstanding natural landscapes have been ruined.

“The council should carefully consider local people.”

The Diocese of Southwell and Nottingham said it submitted the planning applications as part of its commitment to a greener future.

Chief executive Nigel Spraggins said: “We are committed across the diocese to caring for the environment. The current feed-in tariffs are financially good.

“However, even if they were lower, because of our environmental policy, we would still be exploring this possibility. The diocese does have to manage its assets well as they are there to contribute to the overall income which is required to employ our clergy. We are not maximising profits but we are seeking wise financial management.”

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2014/04/25/anger-over-churchs-plans-for-wind-turbine/