Villagers step up campaign against wind turbines
CAMPAIGNERS are stepping up their bid to stop three huge wind turbines being placed near their homes.
Villagers at Strensham, near Tewkesbury, were last night due to stage a fly-past at 6pm to give people an indication of how high the turbines would be.
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Turbines
The plan was to fly a light aircraft low over the village to give an idea how the 126m turbines would impact on the landscape. A villager who is a pilot was behind the stunt.
Bristol-based Wind Prospect wants to put the turbines on farmland at Upper Strensham, overlooking the M5 and M50. Each one would consist of an 80m tower and 46m blades.
Campaigner Rod Wood has collected 400 names on a petition calling for the turbines to be placed at least 2km away from Upper Strensham. He said the fly-past would show people what a huge impact they would have.
He said: "Strensham is pretty solidly against this but we're trying to get other villages involved as it's difficult for some people to understand."
More than 80 people attended a meeting in Strensham Village Hall and formed a committee for Strensham Wind Action Group, which has been set up to fight the proposal.
Richard Burt, the Lib-Dem prospective parliamentary candidate for West Worcestershire, who was there, said: "These turbines would be enormous in the local landscape, with rotor blades similar to the wingspan of a jumbo jet.
"They will cause flicker from rotating blades at sunrise and sunset for residents living east and west of the turbines. Others may suffer sleep loss and health problems from noise and oscillation, and house prices may fall."
Wind Prospect says the turbines would provide clean and green electricity.
It intends to submit a planning application to Tewkesbury Borough Council shortly but has already submitted plans for a 70m temporary wind monitoring mast to the authority.
If approved, it will be in place for two years.
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by PaulM, Gloucs
Wednesday, January 28 2009, 5:01PM
“The lack of intelligence of the treehuggers who support developments such as windfarms never ceases to amaze me. Given their crass stupidity, it is hardly surprising that they fail to realise that this proposal is nothing to do with "saving the planet" and everything to do with lining the pockets of the landowner concerned - who, apparently, refuses to have turbines anywhere near his own property (funny, that). I guess you cannot expect such morons to be at all concerned about the visual/aural impact of these utterly inefficient objects on a beautiful rural landscape.”
by John Bolsom, Gloucester
Friday, October 17 2008, 11:12AM
“I am prepared to offer the people of Tewkesbury free power for the next twenty years in return for their consent to build a windfarm on a different site in the area”
by Wanda, Stroud
Sunday, October 12 2008, 12:03AM
“I have nothing against wind turbines - the one in Nympsfield is quite graceful and silent. However I do believe that they are not at all efficient. Hundreds offshore in windy places - yes, but if we start getting odd ones dotted around the countryside they would eventually spoil the beauty of the landscape. They should be restricted to industrial areas inland, or offshore where they would be more efficient anyway, as the wind is stronger there.
PS To Dolly: it's the wind that spins the blades, which creates electricity - not the other way round!”
by Linda, Cheltenham
Friday, October 10 2008, 12:26PM
“The people in Strensham are a great bunch of people so no more childish insults please. Perhaps the people who like windturbines so much would like to provide their addresses then we can move the wind turbines to their gardens. Then everyone's happy!”
by Linda, Cheltenham
Friday, October 10 2008, 12:22PM
“The villagers of Strensham are a brilliant lot - so no more of the silly insults. Perhaps the people who support turbines would like to provide their addresses and then we can move the turbines to their gardens, then everyone is happy!”
by Gav, Cheltenham
Friday, October 10 2008, 10:09AM
“Instead of these silly wind turbines, Tewkesbury should get a Magnox Nuclear power station. Its got water for cooling & people to run the place.
Plus these reactors make loads of power dead cheap!”
by RealRenewablesFan, Tewkesbury
Friday, October 10 2008, 9:58AM
“There is nothing green or planet-saving about giant wind turbines and all their associated infrastructure of pylons and access roads.
Think about the real motives of these developers - don't let them plunder our local landscape to line their pockets.
The challenge for effective alternatives starts with realising the futility and expense of giant wind turbines, of which there is now abundant evidence.
We certainly need a strong drive for a 'low-carbon Tewkesbury' but giant wind turbines will be an irrelevant part of it and should be resolutely opposed.”
by Dolly, Cheltenham
Friday, October 10 2008, 7:37AM
“Excuse me but doesn't it take lots of electricity to make these things spin? How on earth can this big propeller make power if it uses it all up?”
by Mark Barber, Cheltenham
Friday, October 10 2008, 6:55AM
“Will no one think of the poor little sparrows being chopped up by these big fans. And what happens when these things go too fast? The earth will take off and fly away, is that what you want to happen?”
by NLys, Sheepfold
Thursday, October 09 2008, 4:59PM
“As for reducing CO2 emissions:
Germany has over 22,000 turbines and has not closed a single thermal power station as a result of wind build.
Indeed they stated last year that they are going ahead with 26 new coal-fired power stations.
Nor does erratic and intermittent wind power substitute for nuclear which is a base load generator.
Even Green guru Jonathan Porritt agrees with that:
¿It would be unrealistic to assume that wind energy would displace any nuclear capacity,¿ (¿Wind Power in the UK¿, Sustainable Development Commission. 2005. p35).
Wind power generation needs so much backup that a large expansion in wind power will mean many new coal or gas power stations being built:
'E.ON said that it could take 50 gigawatts of renewable electricity generation to meet the EU target. But it would require up to 90% of this amount as backup from coal and gas plants to ensure supply when intermittent renewable supplies were not available. That would push Britain's installed power base from the existing 76 gigawatts to 120 gigawatts.' ('E.ON warns over backup for renewables', Guardian, 4 June).
National Grid held a presentation very recently agreeing with this analysis:
¿With an increase in intermittent wind power, Mr Anderson said the UK would require a jump from the current 78GW of power capacity to more than 100GW.¿
¿National Grid to boost transmission investments by £2bn a year.¿ (New Energy Focus, 8 October 2008).”