Wind Power News: U.K.
These news and opinion items are gathered by National Wind Watch to help keep readers informed about developments related to industrial wind energy. They do not necessarily reflect the opinions of National Wind Watch. They are the products of and owned by the organizations or individuals noted and are shared here according to “fair use” and “fair dealing” provisions of copyright law.
Calls to stop further windfarm development around Loch Ness as total number of turbines approach 700
Calls have been made to curb wind farm construction around Loch Ness after more than 700 turbines may soon surround the popular tourist attraction. A number of Highland leaders and anti-wind farm campaigners have urged the Scottish Government to “halt the devastation” to nature and local wildlife through a growing number of wind projects around the Great Glen area. Figures show that 363 operational onshore windfarms have been built in the hillside around the 22-mile loch – with a further . . . Complete story »
‘Don’t accept the tainted coin’: Sutherland woman’s plea to neighbours as lochside wind farm looms
A Sutherland resident is urging her neighbours not to accept “the tainted silver coin” when it comes to a proposed windfarm on Loch Shin. Chahna Sudevan lives in Overscaig and will see the nine turbine Sallachy windfarm from her house. She says she is disturbed by the lack of effective consultation on the proposal under Covid-19 restrictions, and urges fellow residents to raise their objections with Highland Council before the cut off point of Sunday May 23. German developer WKN . . . Complete story »
Anger at ongoing ‘related works’ at controversial Meenbog windfarm
Local councillors have expressed dismay that ‘related works’ are continuing in connection with the controversial Meenbog Wind Farm. Works were supposed to cease at the site following a major landslide last November. Hundreds of cubic metres of peat and debris entered into a stream and on to the Mournebeg River from the site of the wind farm, near Ballybofey on the Donegal-Tyrone border. However, at today’s meeting of the Lifford-Stranorlar Municipal District, a senior Donegal County Council engineer confirmed that . . . Complete story »
Scant regard for countryside
It seems that there is now a new surge by developers and speculators to capitalise on the new goldrush on Carmarthenshire’s hills and meadows. In your article last week (May 5) where you reported that the energy firm Energiekontor (German) intends to erect two wind turbines each of over 400ft high above Rhydcymerau, it is, I’m afraid, just the tip of it. Also, above Gwernogle, Pumsaint and Crugybar a firm from Cornwall called Clean Earth are in the early stages . . . Complete story »
Renewed planning permission sought for Cunningsburgh wind turbines
Planning permission is being sought again for three wind turbines in Cunningsburgh. The 67-metre high turbines are planned to have a capacity of 2.7 megawatts. The development at Culterfield was previously granted planning permission in 2012 and 2015, but on both occasions the consent lapsed. Director of developer Freelight (Shetland) Ltd Brian Halcrow said the current application was for a renewal of planning permission. The proposed site is around 900 metres west of the main A970 road which runs through . . . Complete story »
Wind power burden on ratepayers
In case readers failed to notice, the ‘settled science’ of ‘Global Warming’ which we are forbidden to question, has just dished up the coldest April for Sixty years and the finest skiing conditions in Scotland for a Decade. Meanwhile, Lorna Slater and the Greens witter on about ‘sustainable’ energy and the ‘Green New Deal’. What she clearly failed to notice is that during almost all of April, the entire wind industry, far from ‘powering thousands of homes’ was flat-lining, contributing . . . Complete story »
Council hopes noise issue at Batsworthy Cross Wind farm are solved
Councillors are hoping they have found a solution to a noisy wind turbine at Batsworthy Cross. The operator of the wind farm, which stands alongside the North Devon Link Road near Rose Ash, has proposed a strategy to mitigate the noise. Andy Cole, at North Devon Council’s environmental protection team, told councillors at April’s strategy and resources committee: “Noise monitoring has previously confirmed compliance with the noise-related planning conditions at five of the six agreed monitoring locations. “There remains a . . . Complete story »
A tarnished record
RenewableUK is shouting from the rooftops about wind power setting a record on Monday with an output at one point of 17.6GW (gigawatts) (“New record set for wind power on bank holiday”, The Herald, 5 May). But what it is ignoring is that for the whole of the three days prior to this, the output of metered wind farms flatlined below 2GW. These wind farms have a total theoretical rating of 19.5GW. In a 100 per cent renewables scenario we . . . Complete story »
Calls for help for Scottish communities threatened by ‘ring of steel’ wind turbines
Scottish communities are becoming “overwhelmed” by applications for wind farms and feel increasingly powerless to fight against them, campaigners have warned. Many feel they are being surrounded by a “ring of steel” due to the number and giant scale of turbines being built around them. Scotland is already home to more than half of all operational wind turbines of over 100kw in the UK – 4,394 of the total 8,670. And there are thousands more being built or planned – . . . Complete story »
‘I think the vast majority of the people in the village are opposed’
The turbines have yet to rise above Limekiln Forest but already the landscape has undergone a transformation. Chopped-down trees are stacked up neatly beside the newly created access road, a long and winding stony track slicing its way through peaty ground. A huge area is being levelled to accommodate a substation. At a nearby borrow pit, where once there were tall conifers there is now a deep, quarry-like gap underneath 30ft cliffs with a crane, a digger and two stone-crushing . . . Complete story »
