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Wind turbine plan is powered down

10:01am Friday 3rd July 2009 in


PLANS for a wind farm in a picturesque North Dorset setting were sensationally thrown out on July 2.

Despite a recommendation to approve the six 120m-high turbines at Silton, near Gillingham, district councillors unanimously voted to refuse the application.

Hundreds of objectors had earlier protested outside the Olive Bowl conference centre before the tumultuous meeting and around 200 packed out the inside of the hall.

Ultimately the public outcry to Ecotricity’s scheme told, as the council’s development control committee voted to scrap the turbine plans.

Chris Langham, chairman of the Save Our Silton protest group, said: “It was a great result. We couldn’t have asked for more.

“There were great arguments and a fantastic turnout. Overturning a recommendation is not easy but it has been worth the battle.”

Arguments against the turbines, which would have been as tall as Egypt’s largest pyramid, centred on the fact of the area’s outstanding natural beauty would be spoilt.

Protestors said the giant structures would only be 550m from the nearest resident’s front door.

Ecotricity expressed disappointment at the decision and tore into the district council for their lack of “backbone”.

Dale Vince. managing director of Ecotricity, said: “It shows once again that councils are just not capable of making these decisions.

“North Dorset council have taken 12 months to make a decision, which is supposed to have been made in four.

“Even though their own planning officers have recommended approval in a 106-page document, councillors have not had the backbone to endorse that.”

Mr Vince confirmed Ecotricity would appeal the decision.

He said: “Councils like North Dorset prove themselves unfit for the job time and again.

“We will now take this to the government – that’s where the decision needs to be taken from the start, to save a lot of time and hassle.”

Comments(14)

djd says...
11:20am Fri 3 Jul 09

Good old Dorset- nimbys win again !!!

Look at countries on the continent, they all have wind turbines and they're not such a blot on the landscape.

No doubt the Government will reverse the decision.

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585 says...
11:38am Fri 3 Jul 09

Quote 'PLANS for a wind farm in a picturesque North Dorset setting were sensationally thrown out on July 2.'
What was sensational about this action?
Dictionary
1. Of or pertaining to sensation.
2. Piquing or arousing the senses.
3. Provocative.

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AF_Cherry says...
12:19pm Fri 3 Jul 09

I just don't get it. Everybody supposedly wants to go more green but they are not prepared to put up with the consequences. As pituresque as these views are, times are changing and the world is evolving

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JaCubz says...
12:43pm Fri 3 Jul 09

Once again it's nice to see the uneducated get on the bang wagon against NIMBYs. Yes it's on my doorstep, am I against being green - no. If you actually looked further into wind turbines you would find their green credentials soon disappear. If you hadn't notice most of the UK is in a heat wave, and guess what - high pressure ruling the weather means little or no wind. I guess everyone still likes to have air conditioned offices and homes, so where is that power coming from in it cannot be produced by turbines, for those that can't work it out - existing power stations. Offshore is far better as the wind is constant, is provides habit for fish and helps prevent damaging methods of fishing, and also be combine with tidal and wave power. So those that think NIMBYs are anti-green think again, think about the bigger picture. Countryside is there for the enjoyment of all, not to be raped by money grabbing idiots and government policies. The only thing green about the land based turbines is the money companies take out of your pocket to put into theirs.

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winton50 says...
1:04pm Fri 3 Jul 09

I suspect that all of those that objected have now decided to do without electricity as a sign of their solidarity with those that live next to coal or nuclear power stations. Or does that not count because it's not near you?

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JaCubz says...
1:31pm Fri 3 Jul 09

winton50 wrote:
I suspect that all of those that objected have now decided to do without electricity as a sign of their solidarity with those that live next to coal or nuclear power stations. Or does that not count because it's not near you?
Most of the time we do, no street lights, no gas, no mobile signal, and when the wind does blow, the power drops out.

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Laurie H Marsh says...
1:51pm Fri 3 Jul 09

The councillors went along with what the PEOPLE want!
Is that not what democracy is all about?
I live in Queensland and we have just gone through a "once in one hundred year drought"!
Guess what?
It has poured down with rain for the last two months!
We have a 4,000 litre water tank (full) paid for by the council (my rates) and the dams at 76% capacity.
Our pool is overflowing and the "wet" season has not even started!
It is great to be "green"!
The old description of someone who is green is that the person in question is without experience!
I await with relish to be attacked by these people!

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thesyrup1 says...
3:31pm Fri 3 Jul 09

Which ever way you look at it, all these Green options can in no way replace fossil fuels as energy supplier to the countries needs. With population growing, and energy use increasing, there is no option but Nuclear Power. Nobody wants them I know, but unless we cover the sea and hills in turbines, and the roofs with solar panels, there is going to be no choice. The sooner we realise that Nuclear is the only way we can supply the energy needs the populace wants, the sooner we can get on and build them.

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Chris... says...
4:17pm Fri 3 Jul 09

What happens when the objectors are without electricity when such options other than alternative powers are finished with. The person who reckons that high pressure stops high winds I recommend he takes a look out side. We are still in a high pressure, and the winds have increased. High or Low pressure does not cause the winds, it is how close the isobars are on either that causes the strength of the wind, the difference is the direction.

I do agree Wind Farms off shore will be a better source, but no doubt the same Nimby Greens will object to this.

Look to the future, alternative power sources are needed. they look ok in Cornwall.


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Perry_Winkle says...
7:30pm Fri 3 Jul 09

Fascinating how 'nimby' has come to mean selfish and anti-progressive. And funny how all those using it don't seem to be the ones whose local area is under threat...

The reality is that wind turbines just aren't that economic or even green - what's the environmental cost of fabrication, transport, and construction of these monsters, plus the impact of laying in the cables to carry the meagre power output into the national grid?

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thesyrup1 says...
11:15pm Fri 3 Jul 09

Like I said " MORE NUKES!!!!" lol

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Chris... says...
11:56pm Fri 3 Jul 09

Perry_Winkle wrote:
Fascinating how 'nimby' has come to mean selfish and anti-progressive. And funny how all those using it don't seem to be the ones whose local area is under threat...

The reality is that wind turbines just aren't that economic or even green - what's the environmental cost of fabrication, transport, and construction of these monsters, plus the impact of laying in the cables to carry the meagre power output into the national grid?
Once they have been transported, and constructed, thats it. How can once be a problem cost to the environment.

Perhaps we should all go back to rubbing sticks.


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JaCubz says...
8:58am Mon 6 Jul 09

Looks like Chris needs lessons in basic meteorology, isobars relate to areas of constant pressure, like contours on a map, they are formed when there is a change in pressure. Hence the quicker the change in pressure, the closer the isobars, and therefore wind is generated. So my original statement is correct.

As for green credentials of wind turbines is driven by governments and the likes of Ecotricity; the government so if can say to the EU – “look what the UK has done”, and “Green” power companies to make the gullible accept these schemes.

The government has already reduced the benefits of claimed by wind farms

Wind farms are only 20 to 25 percent efficient (fact), but unfortunately wind is fickle at the best of times and the power grid needs to be constant, damage and blackouts can occur if it is overloaded or underloaded. Therefore they must still rely on conventional power sources to do this.

Therefore if you are not reducing CO2 emissions how can they been green.

If the government spent the money on home owners instead of few companies building expensive follies to improve the efficiencies within the home, we all would benefit, lower energy bills for us, and less CO2 pushed into the environment.

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no vested interest says...
4:06pm Mon 6 Jul 09

Well done again guys,no surprises from the above.I was born and bred in Dorset and learnt at a young age that you had to be rich or well off to live in the country in Dorset. But really,do you have be so craven in agreeing with their nimbyistic attitudes,the phrase where i live is,'they could lie straight in bed'.Look!try and look outside of the hopelessly parochial narrow minded bungaloid culture you live in or should I say choose to live in.There are chains of islands in the Pacific that are disappearing as we speak,there are islands that are becoming indundated with sea water bubbling up through the ground they grow their crops on,this is not a myth its actually happening,so get your heads out of the sand.The weather patterns of the world HAVE been disrupted and altered because whatever you believe in,you cant chop half of the trees down in the world,manufacture billions of cars and run them with petrol driven motors,lace the atmosphere with untold millions of tons co2 and the rest without all that having some sort of effect.The world is a finite place and the thin envelope that homosapiens live in is but 150 k,mtrs thick and cannot stand unecessary abuse for too long.The attitudes shown above and by north Dorset county rich kids of are unfortunately what I would expect and I'm not at all surprised that this scheme has been knocked,influence being more important than the future.BUT just imagine if your generation had the opportunity to put a stop to an obvious evil and you did'nt do anything,could you live with your self.Just imagine if somebody's child was being abused by someone and you knew and did'nt say anything about it,could you live with yourself.Wind power might not be the best solution in the long run but in a power hungry Europe that does'nt want to go cap in hand to the Russian spigot might have to use it until other non-fossil or cleaner fossil fuels can be properly funded.The west has been living on the edge of cheap fossil fuels and unsustainable technology for way too long.Get a life and stop being so selfish for the sake of your children and all those in the world that dont live in the comfortable environs of North Dorset,hang your heads in shame.

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