Wind turbine will be a prominent feature
So the appeal Planning Inspector has agreed that the Warren Farm wind turbine should go ahead despite rejection by Mendip District Council's Planning Board made up of our elected councillors. So much for Localism.
What I find completely inexplicable is that, as endorsed by the Inspector, "the council accepted that the proposed wind turbine would not be a prominent feature in the landscape".
Have these people all taken leave of their senses?
How can a rotating structure 54m high in a highly visible spot close to the top of the Mendips in an open field surrounded by low hedges and a few trees not be in a prominent position?
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It will be highly visible for miles around, as far as Glastonbury Tor and beyond.
If you don't believe me go and have a look. It and no doubt others to follow will be the biggest ever man-made intrusion on the natural Mendip skyline.
The Inspector agrees with the Council that it will cause harm to the setting of Maesbury Castle, a Scheduled Ancient Monument, but concludes it is less than"substantial", so that's OK then. And in any case it will only be there for 25 years – for many of us that's the rest of our lives.
The Inspector also endorses the council's dismissal of any cumulative impact. Have they magicked into thin air the actual/proposed turbines at Shooters Bottom, Beechbarrow Farm, Victoria Farm, Maesbury Quarry, near Kilver St, Shepton Mallet, Coleford, East Cranmore (4) and Wanstrow?
In the context of reports from the revered UK Met Office that Global Warming has effectively vanished over the last 15 years this will cause grossly disproportionate harm to our landscape. It will be visible 100 per cent of the time yet typically of onshore turbines it will produce power for 25 per cent of the time.
I repeat, have we all gone bonkers?
Alan Townsend
Holcombe
PS: Hasn't Somerset done more than its bit for low-carbon power with Hinckley Point. Why do we get the worst of both worlds?
Comments
by johndavies
Saturday, March 23 2013, 8:11AM
“You must remember that 'localism' was a political sound-bite & only to be allowed when it agrees with government policy, it was never meant to applied to the community.
Can you imagine - Plebs taking decisions over their own lives & environment !! whatever next !! that sounds dangerously like democracy ….& we cant have that.
Eye watering amounts of cash to be made from wind, index-linked & guaranteed for 20yrs sod the locals.
For a flavour of CASH generated by windfarms, (More than 50% is subsidy's.) see-
http://tinyurl.com/cgmq86d
( See this List of some (700ish) UK windfarms – includes Generation payments, OFGEM ROC payments + Capacity factors, Outputs, Graphs, Maps. - http://tinyurl.com/akxs7yp )
Wind farms work on the 'Robin Hood in reverse' principle - you rob the poor and give the money to the rich.”