COLDHAM COMFORT

One of the most bizarre aspects of the wind farm debate is the tendency of people to believe things which are directly contradicted by the evidence of their own eyes and ears.

As part of their grassroots campaign against the 21st century, a delegation from VVASP (Vale Villagers Against Science and Progress) went on a field trip to Coldham Wind Farm in Cambridgeshire back in January of this year.

The windfarm at Coldham is a joint venture involving Scottish Power, the Co-operative Group and Fenland District Council. The land has been owned by the Co-operative Group - the UK's largest farmer - since 1914. In 2003, an application to erect eight wind turbines on the site was approved, although there was some local opposition. The Co-op and Scottish Power liaised with the local community to agree on where the turbines would be sited.

In addition to generating enough clean energy to power 10,000 homes, the Coldham development includes an education centre and a fund, made up of Section 106 payments, for community projects, including the local football team.

Scottish Power recommended the site to members of VVASP (Vale Villagers Against Sensible Policies). The Co-operative Group is justly proud of its Coldham facility, and featured it in its recent 'Good For All' advertising campaign. Scottish Power evidently felt that Coldham was a good example of a modern wind farm.

They hadn't counted on the intrepid investigators of the VVASP (Vale Villages Against Simple Physics). The delegation tracked down John Scott, a local farmer with a gripe against the turbines.

Mr Scott describes himself as a lifelong member of the RSPB, and voiced his opinion that the number of birds in the area had been 'significantly' reduced since the turbines were erected. Scientists from Newcastle University studied this issue and concluded that the turbines had no impact on bird populations or migratory patterns, but this wasn't enough to sway Mr Scott. Poor chap - the bottom must have fallen out of his world when, in March of this year, the RSPB called for an end to the 'needless delays' which are holding up the development of windfarms in this country, adding that it would be 'disastrous' if the vast potential of wind power in the UK was wasted.

What the RSPB had noticed was that windfarms do not harm wildlife. Climate change, however, does. So whenever anyone tries to tell you that wind turbines are a hazard to local wildlife, they're talking out of their backsides. Even the RSPB knows that NOT building windfarms, or creating 'needless delays' over their construction, is what really constitutes a threat to our native species.

Undeterred, Mr Scott was happy to moan on to anyone who would listen - in this case, the willing and credulous ears of the Lenchwick windfarm protesters. Light flicker from the revolving blades, he said, made it difficult to drive tractors. The noise from the wind turbines was enough to keep him awake at nights. The Lench delegation returned from their journey into the wilds of Cambridgeshire and straightaway got onto the local papers, describing what they had learnt about the Coldham windfarm as 'alarming'.

So - here's a question: did they go to listen to the turbines, to find out for themselves how much noise they make (by simply standing close to them), or did they just go there to talk to someone who would TELL them these things were noisy?

Did they go to form their own judgement, or to have it formed for them?

Were the turbines making any noise while they were there? Or were they too busy listening to the gripes of a disaffected local farmer to notice that the turbines were pretty well silent?

What about those other local residents, who have stated publicly that:

'Coldham was off the map ... The wind farm brought renewed interest [to the area] and we feel involved in local politics and planning again ... It will breathe life back into Coldham.' (Terry Hall, chair of Coldham Residents Action Group)

'I'm very supportive of the wind farm ... Coldham is tiny, and the turbines blend into the peaceful, rural surroundings.' (Paul Wood, potato farmer, Coldham)

'I was concerned about the noise initially, but that was unfounded.' (Sue Jeeves, local resident)

'They're doing no harm. People in the area had reservations, but that's always the case with something new. The world is changing, and we've all got to accept that.' (Michael Hughes, local resident for 39 years)

Did the blinkered visitors from the Lenches talk to any of these people? Or were they only interested in what one disgruntled farmer with an unfounded bee in his bonnet about birds had to say? Were the delegates from VVASP (Vale Villagers Aren't Serious People) interested in the reality, and the evidence of their own eyes and ears, or about some far-fetched horror stories they could bring back to support their own specious arguments?

What do you think?

Well - how about this, then? Last year, plans were put forward to extend the Coldham site by the addition of a further seven turbines. The local planning committee heard objections from just two residents. Nobody else was bothered. After five years of living with eight wind turbines in the area, all the nonsense talked by protesters against turbines had been proven wrong.

It's a shame that some people don't want to believe the evidence of their own eyes and ears and experience - that they'd rather go round spouting some rubbish they've been told, rather than what's actually been proven. Even worse when they dress up their 'discoveries' as hard fact and sell it to their nervous neighbours, omitting to mention the benefits noticed by people who do have experience of windfarms.

What about you? Would you rather find out for yourself, or would you rather be told what to think?

(NB: the two objections to the extended wind farm at Coldham were based on the suggestion that Coldham already had eight turbines and so didn't need any more. The objections had nothing whatever to do with noise, 'flicker', wildlife, property values or any of the other nutty things said by your average protester.)