Members of S.O.M.B.R.E (Save Our Marsh Block Rural Exploitation) have responded cautiously following reports that the multi-millionaire owner of Ecotricity, Dale Vince, has decided to stop trying to get his proposals for new wind-farms past Planners.
Mr Vince is one of the UK’s most vocal proponents of wind power and has made a large fortune from constructing wind farms across the UK. His company is one of a number that attract huge taxpayers subsidies to generate power. His main complaint is that only around 50% of new schemes are being approved and that Government Ministers are putting too many obstructions in the way of the new developments.
Ecotricity has faced massive opposition to a proposal to install six 126.5m industrial turbines in the hamlet of Snave close to a historic listed church on the environmentally sensitive Romney Marsh, as well as four more turbines at a second site a few miles away near Sellindge, close to an area of outstanding natural beauty.
S.O.M.B.R.E applauds the response of the Department for Communities and Local Government to Mr Vince's criticism. Junior Minister, Mr Kris Hopkins stated ‘Inappropriately sited wind turbines can be a blight on the landscape, harming the local environment and damaging heritage for miles around’.
In an interview with The Times (25.11.14) Mr Vince blames the Tories and UKIP for his decision not to apply to build any more turbines across England’s green
and pleasant pastures. He claims that it would be a waste of money to progress projects that are likely to be rejected, especially since Secretary of State Eric Pickles has recently taken a more hands-on approach to the decision making for such developments by calling in applications and making the final decision himself.
In recent years, Planning Inspectors have ignored the valid concerns of many MP’s, local Councils, lobby groups and residents, and given the go ahead for unpopular on-shore turbine developments. Recently, Mr Pickles intervention has spearheaded the wind of change leading Mr Vince to bemoan ‘The success rate in planning has halved in the past couple of years entirely due to the efforts of the Tories’ He berates a change of heart in the Prime Minister, David Cameron who, he claims is aping UKIP policies which include ‘anti-on shore wind’ because he is scared of the political fallout.
S.O.M.B.R.E Press Officer Mike Bartlett said: ‘This is a really good indicator that Ministers and Planners are finally listening to the concerns of the communities who will be forced to live with these projects and taking proper account of the impact they will have. For far too long no-one has been listening and wind farm operators have ridden rough shod over the views of local people and forced their plans through.
S.O.M.B.R.E Leader, Patricia Rolfe commented ‘If the report is true then this is potentially good news however we wait to see whether Ecotricity follow through and cancel all their English projects. We are unsure if the Snave and Sellindge proposals are included in Mr Vince's moratorium but we will continue to vigorously campaign against any developer with plans for further wind farms on and around Romney Marsh. The concerns of local residents should not be ignored. We need to place a much higher value on the importance of the countryside and our senior and local politicians are entrusted with promoting and applying fair policies that protect and enhance our rural environment, not destroy it.’
S.O.M.B.R.E will continue to oppose the proposed Old Romney wind farm on land owned by the Clifton-Holt family.
E & O E
10th November 2014
A storm in the early hours of the 10th of November appears to have severely damaged one of the wind turbines at Little Cheyne Court on Romney Marsh, causing one of the 44 metre blades to fragment and throw debris from the central core of the blade to the ground. It is not clear if the turbine was struck by lightning or suffered a structural failure in the wind. Whatever the scenario it appears the 115 metre, 275 tonne turbine has suffered considerable damage and will probably be out of action for some time.
There are farm buildings in very close proximity to the turbine but fortunately on this occasion they dont appear to have sustained damage.
S.O.M.B.R.E. has consistently expressed valid concerns about the safety of these industrial units with clear evidence from sites in the USA and Europe proving that the turbines can cause damage to land, property and people.
Blades on the the larger turbines can weigh in at around 18 tonnes and even bigger 200 metre monster turbines planned for the future will have substantially heavier ones fitted.
When severed from the main unit, a blade can travel a significant distance. S.O.M.B.R.E. supporters have gathered a wealth of data on these alarming events, which are happening with increased frequency. The Caithness Wind farm Information Forum has documented turbine related accidents up to 2012 see (Summary of Wind Turbine Accident data to 31.12.12 – www.caithnesswindfarms.co.uk). The research shows that ‘blade failure’ where whole blades or pieces of blade are thrown from a turbine accounts for the largest number of accidents. The report notes that pieces of blade are documented as travelling up to one mile from their source and in Germany, blade pieces have gone through the roofs and walls of nearby buildings.
Windbyte have gathered a huge amount of information relating to the the safety issues related to turbine and blade failure. Visit www.windbyte.co.uk
Last year the government issued revised Planning Permission Guidance in relation to renewable energy developments. S.O.M.B.R.E. supporters reacted cautiously to the news since the guidance omitted to impose a 2km ‘buffer zone’ on all future on-shore industrial wind turbine developments. Such a zone would prevent any onshore development from being sited too close to residential homes and other buildings.
Last night’s storm appears to have severely damaged one of the wind turbines at Little Cheyne, on Romney Marsh causing one of the 44 metre blades to fragment and throw debris from the central core of the blade to the ground. It is not clear if the turbine was struck by lightning or suffered a structural failure in the wind. Whatever the scenario it appears the 115 metre 275 tonne turbine has suffered considerable damage and will probably be out of action for some time.
Please join us in our fight to oppose further such developments on the environmentally sensitive Romney Marsh.
For further information pleases visit our website.
E & O E