July 27, 2015
England

MP joins residents in opposing Chislet Windfarm plans

By Timbates | Canterbury Times | Posted: July 27, 2015 | www.canterburytimes.co.uk

Pressure has mounted on a national energy firm to abandon proposals to build a new windfarm.

The proposal by Renewla Energy Systems, as it stands, would see between nine and 11 turbines, standing 125 metres high, built on the Chislet marshes, just south of the A299.

The plans have already come under fire, with residents creating the website stop-chislet-windfarm.co.uk, dedicated to stopping the development, and the area’s MP, Sir Roger Gale, has written to the developers, denouncing the proposal as “nonsense”.

He said: “It is clearly essential that real powers are given to local parish and district to the city councils to prevent this kind of unwanted, expensive, and inefficient development.”

“These proposals have, as will be apparent to you, attracted very strong local opposition on the grounds of intrusion into the tranquility and serenity of a particularly beautiful part of Kent.”

Alison Jones, a spokesman for Renewal Energy Systems, urged people to remember that it was very early days for their proposal yet.

She said: “All we have is the site, which has some things going for it. It has good access, and good wind speed, which is obviously important.

“It’s not a specially designated area, it’s not a wildlife park, and it is not an area of outstanding natural beauty. So, we are investigating, but obviously we haven’t even submitted anything concrete yet, so it is very early days.

“If some people are ideologically opposed to the idea, and will oppose it no matter what, that is fine. I would encourage people who are open to the idea, or want to hear more about what we’re considering, to come to our consultations.”

But, representatives of the Stop Chislet Windfarm group say they are determined to make sure the development never gets off the ground.

At a consultation hosted by RES on Monday evening, the group gathered en masse to show their opposition to the plans, and their website has even mocked up their own artists impressions of what the turbines might look like in the Chislet countryside.

Ashley Lupin, who leads the group, said: “What they really want is to report that they have had no objections. We will not let that happen.”

Another member of the group said: “Is nine to 11 turbines really worthwhile when there are arrays of 30 turbines nearly eight miles away, and 100 more around the coast?”


URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2015/07/27/mp-joins-residents-in-opposing-chislet-windfarm-plans/