Wind Power News: England
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 reproduced here according to “fair use” and “fair dealing” provisions of copyright law.
Norfolk council ‘disappointed’ over ruling on planned wind turbines
A senior judge’s refusal or order a re-opening of a public inquiry into plans for two wind turbines in the north Norfolk countryside has drawn the ire of the local council, who labelled the decision “disappointing for residents”. Rt Hon Lord Justice Lindblom has rejected a North Norfolk District Council bid to have the Court of Appeal reconsider how the planned turbines at Bodham and Selbrigg – between Holt and Sheringham – should be assessed. The council wanted appeals against . . . Complete story »
Tourism and landscape in east Suffolk at risk from huge energy projects
Growing concern is being voiced over plans for seven major energy projects in part of east Suffolk – and the lack of coordinated policy to deal with the concentration of development. Campaigners fear the massive schemes, which could be built in 25 square miles of rural landscape, could cause serious harm to an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty – and devastate the area’s tourism industry. Now a new body comprising local action groups has been set up to fight the . . . Complete story »
Kirkby Moor windfarm inquiry delayed
Bad weather has caused the decision on the future of a controversial windfarm to be delayed. The decision whether to extend the life of Kirkby Moor was expected to be announced yesterday. But it has been delayed because it has not been possible for the inspector to obtain a long distance view of the Lake District and assess the impact of the turbines on the surrounding area. The inspector tried to get a good view of the turbines on April . . . Complete story »
Hull MP’s frustration as government allows wind farms to keep hiring cheap overseas workers
A Hull MP has blasted a decision to continue an open-door policy to allow cheap foreign labour to be used in the Humber’s offshore wind industry. The Home Office has opted to extend a waiver that allows offshore wind construction companies to bring in workers from outside the European Economic Area (EEA) without requiring a visa. The immigration loophole allows companies to pay non-European workers, who are often out at sea for 12 hours or more a day, less than . . . Complete story »
Rolling road blocks could hit Shropshire border routes
Rolling road blocks on the Shropshire/Welsh border over the next 18 months could cause traffic hold-ups. Major trunk roads, including the A483/A5 from Newtown, through Shropshire and the Oswestry and Chirk bypasses could be affected by abnormal loads taking equipment to a new wind farm in north Wales. The Clocaenog Forest wind farm will see 27 turbines put up within the forest near the popular Llyn Brenig beauty spot in Denbighshire. A roads order will come into effect on Thursday . . . Complete story »
Wind farms and 30-acre Friston substation set to go ahead despite protests
Government permission for two new wind farms off Suffolk to provide electricity for 1.5million homes will be sought this autumn – despite 600 objections. Opponents of the projects have voiced concerns over traffic and transport, construction timetables and impacts of the massive proposed substation at Friston. But ScottishPower Renewables say it will carefully consider feedback but still intends to submit its Development Consent Applications for the East Anglia TWO and ONE North offshore wind farms to the Government in October. . . . Complete story »
‘Tsunami’ of energy projects could blight life in east Suffolk – warning
Campaigners fighting plans for a huge wind farm substation say they fear a “tsunami of major energy projects” over the next decade which will wreck life for people living in coastal Suffolk. As well as proposals for the 30-acre site at Grove Wood, Friston, and a seven-mile cable trench across countryside, plans are afoot for a twin reactor nuclear power plant at Sizewell, plus two major industrial-scale National Grid projects called Nautilus and Eurolink to share power with Belgium and . . . Complete story »
Plans for huge offshore wind farm near Devon coast are ‘back on the table’
The man behind one of the world’s biggest offshore wind farms believes a similarly large green energy development off the Devon and Cornwall coast is “inevitable”. Peter Crone of Zero Carbon Marine believes it is only a matter of time before an enormous offshore wind farm in the Bristol Channel is given the go ahead. Peter – who devised the London Array (seen in the video above), the “world’s largest operational offshore wind farm” – believes the development off the . . . Complete story »
Batsworthy Cross Wind Farm not being monitored for noise properly, say nearby residents
Residents near North Devon’s Batsworthy Cross Wind Farm say North Devon Council (NDC) has not adequately monitored noise coming from the site. A special meeting of the council’s Overview and Scrutiny committee took place on Thursday to hear about a lack of progress in noise monitoring at the nine-turbine wind farm. The development was rejected by the council in 2011, but the decision was overturned by a Government inspector the following year. Among the conditions was the completion of noise . . . Complete story »
MP calls for debate to avoid ‘major environmental impact’ of offshore windfarm projects
A parliamentary debate on offshore windfarms – which was cancelled so a Norfolk MP could attend a public meeting on the issue – has been rescheduled. Mid Norfolk MP George Freeman had secured an end of day adjournment debate last month over where substations are built to serve new offshore wind farms in Norfolk, amid two major wind farm schemes off the county’s coast. But he cancelled the debate at the last minute to rush back to Norwich to ensure . . . Complete story »
