Public Inquiry told area is becoming a "Windfarm Lanscape"

Many residents of the North West, including some of the most beautiful areas in the region, will recognise the comments made to a Public Inquiry by a landscape expert this week.

Derek Woolerton, a landscape consultant and environmental planning consultant, was giving evidence on behalf of Copeland Borough Council when he told a planning inquiry that the number of wind turbines in West Cumbria has reached the point where they are becoming a very noticeable feature of the landscape.

"Their presence is widespread, wherever you go in West Cumbria you are likely to see a turbine" he told the inquiry.

Many people in other parts of Cumbria, in Lancashire, and indeed in many districts in the North West would say exactly the same about their own localities.

I support the development of renewable energy, but it is not sensible for too high a proportion of the power supply in any given area of the country to come from a source which only works if the wind is blowing at the right speed.

There are already 90 onshore wind turbines in Copeland and Allerdale and several enormous offshore wind farms operational or planned off the Cumbrian cost from Robin Rigg in the Solway Firth to the West Duddon windfarm planned off Walney Island and those around Barrow.

We've reached the point in the North West where it is time to look for other new sources of energy, from new nuclear build at Sellafield to Hydro-electric power to Shale Gas (provided the safety and environmental issues can be resolved.) And we must also look aggressively for ways to save energy.

Comments

Jim said…
Choose wind, pay for wind. Get Diesel and pay a fortune for the honour.
Jim said…
Opt for wind, pay a fortune in subsidies, ruin the landscape. End up using diesel and paying a fortune more for the honour of having a reliable grid. Fantastic
Chris Whiteside said…
That's pretty much it, Jim. That's why I think it is time, to coin a phrase, to "declare victory and go home."
Jim said…
I don't. I wish I did, agree, but sadly due to the shear number of planning applications currently in to build them, then I think do declare victory now would be a little premature. Lots of individual apps in at the moment to build a wind farm near Eskett quarry (visable from Ennerdale water). Once there is one, president set, and they breed like rabbits.
Chris Whiteside said…
For the avoidance of doubt, when I say "declare victory and go home" I mean declare that the policy of encouraging wind turbines has reached its' objectives and is no longer needed.
Chris Whiteside said…
P.S. - Jim, what's happened to your photograph?
Jim said…
I am at my wife's house in carlisle. No internet access so using my phone its easier to just write my name than to log into blogger when the phone keeps auto correcting my password.
Chris Whiteside said…
Fair enough. Phone autocorrection systems are a real pain in my experience.
Jim said…
Just as a belt and braces measure, you know, just in case there is still anyone who has even the slightest bit of doubt that windfarms are a really bad idea. Copy and paste the following into your browser.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2362762/The-dirty-secret-Britains-power-madness-Polluting-diesel-generators-built-secret-foreign-companies-kick-theres-wind-turbines--insane-true-eco-scandals.html
Anonymous said…
Chris, did you put in an objection to the proposed Weddicar Rigg windfarm?
Chris Whiteside said…
No, not so far, because up to now my view on individual wind farm proposals has been that it is for the local community affected by a proposal to say whether they want it and I am not personally quite near enough to be affected.

If the overconcentration of Wind Farms in this area gets any worse I may change this view and start submitting personal objections on the basis that the entire locality is being damaged.

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