County MPs back wind farms attack (From Worcester News)
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County MPs back wind farms attack
6:13pm Wednesday 31st October 2012 in News
WIND farms are being “imposed on communities” and should be stopped from “peppering” the countryside.
That’s the view of the Government’s energy minister, who has ordered a re-examination of the case for onshore wind power.
John Hayes’ comments have been backed by MPs in Worcestershire and residents in rural parts of the county.
Earlier this year controversial proposals were revealed for a huge wind turbine as large as Big Ben in a field next to the motocross track at junction six of the M5 by Tibberton, which was eventually rejected.
And last year a similar bid for five wind turbines on land at Bishampton Bank in the Lenches, near Evesham, was thrown out by Wychavon District Council after a public protest.
Colin Besford, from Tibberton, one of the protesters against the M5 turbine, said: “It was rejected because it would ruin the countryside – nobody wanted it.”
Mr Hayes has labelled the spread of turbines “extraordinary” and wants them halted until the case for them is looked at again.
He said: “We can no longer have wind turbines imposed on communities.
“I can’t single-handedly build a new Jerusalem but I can protect our green and pleasant land.
“We have issued a call for evidence on wind. That is about cost but also about community buy-in.
“We need to understand communities’ genuine desires. We will form our policy in the future on the basis of that, not on a bourgeois Left article of faith based on some academic perspective.”
The minister said new research on wind turbines would make a far wider assessment of their impact on the rural landscape and property prices. “I have asked the planning minister to look again at the relationship between these turbines and the landscape, he said.
Worcester MP Robin Walker said: “Wind turbines can be good in some areas but equally, not appropriate in others, and ultimately as long as the local planning system is robust, as seems to be the case in Worcestershire, we can protect against that.”
Comments(19)
mayall8808
says...
7:09am Thu 1 Nov 12
Local councils do not have the money to contest these big companies in court if they appeal against a ruling so it is now time before there are too many to stop building them now.
We should be burning our rubbish and converting the excess into energy, we have the technology instead of land filling.
Jabbadad
says...
10:04am Thu 1 Nov 12
As to Wind Turbines the only gains are to the landowners who are getting huge subsidies from we tax-payers, the contribution to the National Grid is double the cost of any other power production. And with the announcement for 2 Nuclear plants to be built by the Japanese, EXCUSE ME but my memory is clear on the Japanese Nuclear disaster, why not hedge the bets and allow Russia (with their Nuclear record) and Japan to build one each. And our politicians are so lacking in common sense that they may well consider it.
Since the 1970's successive governments have known that there would be an energy shortage, and they have only now reacted by ordering these reactors which will take at least 10 years to come on stream.So we are reliant on France (our true dear trading friends) For Electricity generated by nuclear power, and Russia (who can't decide their own destiny without corruption) for our Gas via a pipe line totally under their control.
OUR FUTURE LOOKS GOOD FOLKS
More Tea Vicar
says...
12:18pm Thu 1 Nov 12
He is a vociferous supporter of that stupid technology farce park by the M5
And of the utterly destructive South Worcs Destruction Plan.
The man is a complete hypocrite.
More Tea Vicar
says...
12:18pm Thu 1 Nov 12
He is a vociferous supporter of that stupid technology farce park by the M5
And of the utterly destructive South Worcs Destruction Plan.
The man is a complete hypocrite.
aviator67
says...
3:24pm Thu 1 Nov 12
Actually I believe the M5 turbine was recommended for approval on technical grounds by the planning authority. It was only the loony planning committee that refused it because they are dinosaurs.
You'll get the energy system you deserve. Just don't moan about it when the black gold runs out.
Jabbadad
says...
4:30pm Thu 1 Nov 12
aviator67
says...
5:13pm Thu 1 Nov 12
Jabbadad wrote:Clearly you have no idea how much subsidy is going to be paid to EDF to build new nuclear. According to the Torygraph it'll add £70 a year to everyone's annual bills... oh and dont forget that cost doesnt include clean up.
When the Black gold runs out and the lights go out it would not be saved by Wind Turbines unless we each have a turbine on our houses, but the lack of action has been brought about by those who favor Wind Turbines and living in cuckoo green only land, or those who are getting huge payments from we taxpayers.
Its going to make wind farms look cheap in comparison.
Jabbadad
says...
6:01pm Thu 1 Nov 12
I am a pensioner on a very fixed income and £70 per year will be but a small price to pay so that we don't go back to the days when the lights did go out and me and our families like thousands more queued up at the gas works for a couple of bags of coke, and industries were forced onto short working weeks, petrol rationing, oh yes I remember the good days without Nuclear.
aviator67
says...
6:43pm Thu 1 Nov 12
* costs £6 per year in subsidies
* generates energy for 2.4 million homes
* supports nearly 9,000 UK jobs
If you dont want wind or nuclear how do you propose to keep the lights on.. and by that I mean keep UK PLC powered and in business? UK oil & gas is in decline, we're importing more and more from politically unstable countries such as Russia and the Middle East. You really want to be in their pocket? You want to be in a bidding war against China, Brazil and India? Good luck with that my friend.
Its easy to be anti-everything - that's what we do best in the UK.
The rich Tories who dont want renewables do not care about you. They can afford energy at any price. They care about the view from the golf course.
Jabbadad
says...
9:14pm Thu 1 Nov 12
MJI
says...
9:53am Fri 2 Nov 12
.
Hitachi will be working with such companies as Rolls Royce to build new power stations.
Jabbadad
says...
10:12am Fri 2 Nov 12
By the time we have satisfied the Greens, we will be sat in the darkness eating lettuce. Or Hugging a Wind Turbine. Perhaps Cameron hasn't thought of that one yet, won't hold my breath though.
aviator67
says...
12:36pm Fri 2 Nov 12
The current Gov position is technically the same as the last - we need lots of diverse generating technologies.
This Gov has slashed both the Feed In Tariff and the Renewables Obligation. By the way they've virtually destroyed the PV industry in a single go - where was the joined up thinking there?
So renewables are almost down to a level where noone will invest in them. nice one. Perhaps worth noting that much of the renewable capacity is BRITISH owned - cant say that about large scale gas and nuclear.
The sad truth for wind-haters is that onshore wind is by far the cheapest and most effective renewable available. As gas and oil prices soar, energy from wind will soon achieve parity and then be cheaper than fossil fuels.
At that point people will be begging for more of them.
Jabbadad
says...
3:23pm Fri 2 Nov 12
Personally I think that they are desperately short of common sense and loyalty.
Arthur Blenkinsop
says...
12:46pm Tue 6 Nov 12
aviator67
says...
3:25pm Tue 6 Nov 12
Arthur Blenkinsop wrote:Oil and gas power stations are relatively cheap to build... but the opex costs are going to spiral as the developing nations causes a bidding war for the remaining fossil fuels.
A wind turbine to just about power an average home = approx. £30000. A commercial wind turbine to produce 2MW is approx £3M just to install. More than 60,000 would be needed to just about power the UK, and would cover more than 10% of the UK. That is £180,000 Million quid ish for starters! Just not in the least bit practical or affordable even on a windy day.
Renewables have a higher capex but very low opex - the wind is free afterall. Plus debt funding and inflation means that if you invest in wind today you'll be laughing in 10yrs time.
Osbourne wants gas precisely so that the next generation picks up the tab. Typical political short sightedness and slight of hand.
Jabbadad
says...
4:52pm Tue 6 Nov 12
Quite recently there was an excellent true life as it happened TV documentary series about a village that was torn apart by just one local person who actually worked for a wind turbine manufacturer, and her wish to bring turbines and destroy a most beautiful landscape, and how it also destroyed the local area, and then she moved to another area. The only person to benefit was a money grabbing farmer who stood to gain millions and showed his complete contempt for the whole village as long as his bank balance was ok,
Malaky
says...
11:05pm Tue 6 Nov 12
aviator67 wrote:Which language are you speaking?
Arthur Blenkinsop wrote:Oil and gas power stations are relatively cheap to build... but the opex costs are going to spiral as the developing nations causes a bidding war for the remaining fossil fuels.
A wind turbine to just about power an average home = approx. £30000. A commercial wind turbine to produce 2MW is approx £3M just to install. More than 60,000 would be needed to just about power the UK, and would cover more than 10% of the UK. That is £180,000 Million quid ish for starters! Just not in the least bit practical or affordable even on a windy day.
Renewables have a higher capex but very low opex - the wind is free afterall. Plus debt funding and inflation means that if you invest in wind today you'll be laughing in 10yrs time.
Osbourne wants gas precisely so that the next generation picks up the tab. Typical political short sightedness and slight of hand.
Brian426uk says...
12:24am Thu 1 Nov 12
They are indeed a blot on the landscape.
They are useful for helping to maintain battery supplies in remote areas.