Row rages over wind power 'bullying'
THE row over plans for a massive expansion of wind farms intensifies today with the Conservatives accusing ministers of "bullying" local people into accepting more turbines in the countryside.
With the Government reportedly preparing to water down planning rules to speed up new developments, Labour faces claims it is planning to "steamroller" over opposition from people living nearby.
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Last week, Energy Secretary Ed Miliband wrote in the Western Morning News that the Westcountry had "no option" but to accept the need for more wind farms.
He said it was "perfectly natural" for the region to want to protect its coastline, countryside and natural beauty from excessive development, but insisted "we have some tough choices to make" about the impact of climate change.
"Wind power is a natural resource that we have in abundance in the UK and can help us not only tackle climate change but also enhance Britain's energy security by making us less reliant on foreign energy imports," he said.
But today, the Tories accuse Mr Miliband of focusing too heavily on wind power with "hardly a mention" of offshore marine energy using the waves or tides.
Shadow energy minister Charles Hendry claims Labour has "boxed itself in" with a tight timescale for the roll-out of renewable energy, meaning only more developed wind projects can go ahead. Solar and tidal projects are being overlooked as a result.
The Campaign to Protect Rural England has also warned against a large-scale expansion of wind farms in Devon and Cornwall, calling instead for more investment in solar and geothermal technology.
Writing in today's WMN, Mr Hendry says the Government "has lost the argument and has decided local democracy is no longer an end worth pursuing". Meeting targets of producing 15 per cent of total energy from renewables by 2020 is a "monumental challenge", he writes. As a result, ministers can only "steamroller over local objections" and "bully" people who oppose their plans.
Gordon Brown is expected to announce plans later this month to relax planning rules to ramp up the expansion of wind farms across the countryside. He is likely to use the Budget on April 22 to claim Britain must lead the way with a "greener economy".
In today's article, Mr Hendry concedes that wind energy has "a very important role to play" in reducing Britain's reliance on oil and gas, but he insists that it needs the support of local communities. "No community will respect a decision made centrally, which does not take into account the wishes of its people," he says. " If planning applications are to retain their legitimacy, then there must be an aspect of democratic accountability: no amount of finger-wagging from ministers in Whitehall can change that."
A Conservative government would scrap the controversial new Infrastructure Planning Commission, set up to take decisions on large-scale developments.
"The Government's vision for the South West – one of the most spectacularly beautiful parts of our country – seems to be to cover it with wind turbines, whether or not local people want them," adds Mr Hendry. But the focus on wind farms risks ignoring the "greater opportunity" for the Westcountry, which could become a global leader in wave, tidal and solar power.
"The Government talks the talk on renewables, but when it comes to real action on the ground, it is sorely lacking. The South West deserves better."
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by K G BOSTEL, Callington
Wednesday, April 22 2009, 9:50AM
“Devon & Cornwall have enjoyed carbon free power for decades, eversince Plymouth & Hayle power stations closed. It is generated at Dungeness, Hinckley and France. The 400kV Grid interconnects these nuclear generating site and supplies Grid substations at Exeter, Pyeworthy, Landulph and Indian Queens from which this carbon free power is distrubuted at lower voltages to us. Wind is a complete distraction from the key issue of energy security operating as it does on only 3 days out of every 10 on average. Of course the lights dont go out when the wind dies away because National Grid shadows wind output with operating part loaded fossil fuelled generation (spinning reserve) able to pick up load immediately windpower decays. So not much saving in CO2 there. We do not want Devons & Cornwalls natural environment despolied by this quite useless icons of political correctness. It might be a vote winner now but once carpet bombed with white towers it will be a vote loser down here.”
by elizabeth mann, north east
Thursday, April 16 2009, 2:01PM
“Third time lucky perhaps
Here it is
www.wind-farm.co.uk
Search for Satley .Wallkway ,GSK to read the truth on some shameful consents”
by elizabeth mann, north east
Thursday, April 16 2009, 1:54PM
“Apologies for missing the website from my recent posting .You need this to download/read the books mentioned and to read some other facts relating to the methodology used to promote wind power.”
by Brian Gallagher, Cambridge
Thursday, April 16 2009, 12:47PM
“The 'Age of Stupid' is wasting money on turbines needing proper power stations to back them up most of the time.
Denmark is the long time 'home' of wind turbines. It hasn't shut down a single fossil fuel power station.
Germany has 10 times more wind turbines than Britain but its CO2 emissions are RISING.
When will it sink in that subsidy driven, unreliable wind energy is a dead duck? Industrialising our countryside is stupid vandalism we can't afford.”
by Dillon, Devon
Thursday, April 16 2009, 10:55AM
“Cynical or malevolent dictatorship, more like.”
by Jay, Devon
Thursday, April 16 2009, 9:54AM
“The British political system has been described as "a benign dictatorship". It seems that New Labour are keen to delete the adjective.”
by elizabeth mann, north east
Thursday, April 16 2009, 9:34AM
“I challenge the overall methodology that has been used to promote wind energy and in the interest of democracy I have documented detailed events in Force10 and its sequel Force10 Companion Guide. These books may be downloaded below. They are to all intents and purposes a piece of Social History. In particular I take issue on how PPS22 has evolved and challenge PPS22 Companion Guide, that scarlet pimpernel of all planning documents; its 185 pages surfacing 6 months after the 11 page document it was to support. Reduction of CO2 emissions seem lost in the race for regional targets, mainly onshore wind. A real catch 22 as until wind turbines are built, we cannot prove whether wind turbines are reducing CO2 emissions as expected. They are certainly not in the North East!”
by George Fairbank, Tiverton
Wednesday, April 15 2009, 5:02PM
“Phillip, the Westinghouse debacle was indeed characteristic of the way our present 'government' chooses to do business: i.e. identify a sector that is doing well, then tout for offers. Just like, as you say, our gold. Not so much the 'family silver'.....
We could have had a great nuclear industry - at least as good as that enjoyed by the French (from whom we will now kowtow for the technology, manufacturing capability and virtually everything else) - but it was not to be, sadly.
The rot set in in the '70s, of course, when the useless Benn was energy minister. He was the most clueless of the lot of them, as while he led CND marches he couldn't differentiate between 'bomb' and 'power station'. And his reward for robbing us of a great industry and pole position in nuclear exports? To become a revered grandee of in political industry! So much for politicians.
We'll lose the race for fusion, too, although we had a lead. Everyone wants to do a media degree or become a hairdresser where I live. God help us.
Happy to be a grumpy old man.
Oh, and Capt. Kirk. I can't make it to Land's End tonight. And, at any rate, I've already scoffed all the digestives!”
by Charles Henry 1945-(diuturnity), Somersetshire
Wednesday, April 15 2009, 4:55PM
“:| George; thankyou for taking your decision to go. . . I hadn't really planned on leaving my cellar behind just yet. . You could ask them if they would let me know when they've got a freighter coming this way.”
by Phillip, Rackenford
Wednesday, April 15 2009, 4:50PM
“George,
Don't forget that Gordon Brown sold off westinghouse (the designer of nuclear power stations) for a song, just before announcing that we need new power stations. You couldn't make it up! (Well you could because Gordon Brown sold off our gold reserves after announcing he was going to do it so that the speculaters were able to drop the price of gold and buy it cheaply).
He alone has cost the country more than one fortune.”