Tewkesbury wind turbines buffer zone welcomed

By rjenkins

Campaigners trying to stop wind turbines being built near Tewkesbury are backing plans to introduce buffer zones.

Mid Worcestershire MP Peter Luff is presenting his plans, to keep a certain distance between turbines and houses, before the House of Commons today.

He will introduce the Onshore Wind Turbines (Proximity of Habitation) Bill. If it becomes law in the future, it will mean smaller turbines will have to be at least half a mile from people's homes, medium sized ones a mile and the largest turbines one-and-a-half miles.

The move has been welcomed by Rod Wood, of Strensham Wind Action Group. It is fighting Wind Prospect's plans to build three 126m turbines on farmland at Upper Strensham, overlooking the M5 and M50 motorways.

The group's members say the turbines will be a blot on the landscape and that even people in the heart of Tewkesbury town will see them.

Mr Wood said Mr Luff's proposal was a sensible one.

He said: "It's entirely in line with what we've been saying all along. We don't object to wind turbines as such – just when they are situated too close to villages. The visual impact is the main thing."

Mr Luff is trying to get the buffer zones to be made law as his constituents fight plans for turbines at The Lenches, near Evesham. They fear the 125m turbines will ruin the countryside.

He said: "I hope that imposing these limits would lead to those applications coming forward being inherently less objectionable and therefore attracting less local opposition.

"It is a limited measure that makes no judgement about the merits of on-shore wind, or on the bigger issues of climate change and targets for green energy. You can take what ever view you like on these issues and still see merit in my Bill.

"It's just intended to reduce the risks of these turbines being built unreasonably close to homes – unless, of course, the affected homes wanted them, perhaps because they are on their land and they will benefit financially."

Wind Prospect says it expects to submit a planning application to Tewkesbury Borough Council for the Strensham proposal in the next month or so.

It has just appealed against Wychavon District Council's refusal to approve plans to build an access track and cable trench in the village.