SEDGEFIELD MP Phil Wilson’s concerns over the “excessive development” of wind farms in his constituency (Echo, June 26) presumably reflect the broad views of constituents likely to be adversely affected?
South Durham, basically rural in character, is to be home to 62 massive industrial turbines, with the Seamer and Hambleton schemes just down the A19.
Government appears to have had no co-ordinated strategy for these developments and no procedure for looking at the cumulative effects of turbine density.
The rush for wind now looks like panic, triggered by fears of future energy shortfalls as North Sea oil declines and the past unwillingness to grasp the nuclear nettle early enough. The inefficient, noisy and intrusive land-based turbines will do little to bridge any future UK energy gap.
Development of turbine sites brings a good return on investment for the mostly foreign-owned developers – UK taxpayer subsidies.
Regional development agency One North East proudly promotes a new regional image targeted at a steadily growing tourist economy – the massed turbines simply reinforce the old “muck and brass” stereotypes.
Mr Wilson is rightly seeking the Secretary of State’s intervention with regard to excessive development. He may have a tough task. Climate “Tsar” Ed Miliband states those opposing wind farms are “as socially irresponsible as non-users of seatbelts”.
R Tempest, Wynyard Estate, Co Durham.
RE your article “Government must enter debate over wind farms” (Echo, June 26), I must take issue with the fact that Great Stainton was not shown on your map of the proposed and operating wind turbine sites.
Being approximately one mile from the nearest turbine of the A1 wind farm to the north, Great Stainton would be greatly affected if the proposals were given the green light.
Even in the application documents, E.ON rarely shows Great Stainton on any diagrams; would those concerned rather pretend we are not here?
They must know that we will fight the accumulation of proposals with every means at our disposal. Some 97 per cent of residents are against the A1 proposals specifically, but also the pending proposals for Moorhouse to the west and East and West Newbiggin to the south, which in combination would create a huge cumulative effect of enormous turbines.
The village will be surrounded.
Our beautiful rural idyll will be utterly ruined. Enough is enough, County Durham has already achieved its 2010 renewable energy targets.
Angela Ridley, Great Stainton, near Darlington.
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