June 2, 2014
England

Charminster Slyer’s Lane wind farm plan criticised

Wind turbine rethink criticised | BBC News | 2 June 2014 | www.bbc.co.uk

Campaigners say they will continue to fight against a planned wind farm in Dorset despite proposals being scaled back.

Broadview Energy said the project on farmland off Slyer’s Lane, near Charminster, would now consist of six instead of seven turbines.

It said their height had also reduced from 125m (410ft) to 115m (377ft).

Campaign group No Slyer’s Lane Turbine said the changes would not reduce the impact on the environment.

‘Russian roulette’

A planning application has yet to be submitted, but if agreed the energy firm said it hoped the turbines would generate enough electricity to power more than 8,300 homes.

Tom Cosgrove, development manager for Broadview said: “We believe that the current proposal strikes the right balance between generating as much renewable electricity as possible whilst also being sensitive to the existing environment.”

Tim Yarker, from No Slyer’s Lane Turbine, said the turbines remained “massive industrial structures” in “Hardy Country”, named after the famous novelist and poet Thomas Hardy.

Campaigners have previously said bird and bat populations would be “playing Russian roulette when using their previously established hunting and feeding grounds” if turbines were placed on the site.

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2014/06/02/charminster-slyers-lane-wind-farm-plan-criticised/