June 17, 2014
England

MP Letwin backs wind farm opponents

Dorset Echo | 17th June 2014 | www.dorsetecho.co.uk

West Dorset MP Oliver Letwin has backed campaigners opposing the proposed West Dorset Wind Farm near Tolpuddle.

Renewable energy firm West Coast Energy submitted a new planning application for a five turbine wind farm near the village, after they withdrew their initial nine turbine plans late last year.

The new plans also saw a reduction in the size of the turbines from 126.5 metres to 115m, but a campaign group, Tolpuddle Against Industrial Turbines (TAINT), was set up in opposition to the proposals.

Mr Letwin was speaking at a public meeting held at Tolpuddle village hall last week, and said: “The new proposal, though slightly smaller than the last one, is still totally out of scale with the landscape.

“I hope that it will be firmly rejected.”

Richard Slocock, chairman of TAINT, said: “Mr Letwin agrees with us that these turbines of this industrial size are simply out of place in Dorset, and he spoke about that at the meeting.

“There is not much he can do but it is nice to have his support.”

West Coast Energy has said the community would be guaranteed a payment of £5,000 for each megawatt of electricity generated, or 10 per cent of the profits generated from the farm, if the wind farm gets the go-ahead from planners.

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2014/06/17/mp-letwin-backs-wind-farm-opponents/