Thursday 8 October 2009

LIFE IN THE MIDDLE

Someone seems to think that they will be living 'in the middle' of a windfarm when the Lenchwick development gets the go ahead.

How odd. Looking at the map, it's hard to see how anybody will be 'in the middle' of the windfarm. Outside the windfarm, yes. Within so many hundred metres of a turbine, yes. But 'in the middle'? That's not really possible, is it? Unless they're planning on erecting a tent on private land, in between a couple of turbines. Which is not really likely to happen.

Aside from the paranoid guff that everyone in favour of windpower (or this blog) works for a windfarm company, there has also been the suggestion that anti-NIMBY, pro-windfarm people don't live anywhere near windfarms (and certainly not 'in the middle' of one).

But, as usual, a VVASP 'statement' turns out to be laughably easy to refute. There's quite a rich crop of community windfarm projects to consider.

But wouldn't you just know - another contributor has been in touch to point out that villagers in Fintry, Stirlingshire, took a most unusual step when a windfarm was first proposed for their locality.

Did they form a NIMBY group to fight the proposals?

No. They asked the developer (West Coast Energy) to install an extra turbine which the villagers themselves would pay for!!!

With the Fintry windfarm now up and running, the villagers, in the form of the Fintry Development Trust, are receiving an income from their own turbine, as well as seeing their domestic energy bills reduced by a huge amount.

Here's the link:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2009/may/10/windpower-energy

So - in conclusion. Some pro-wind people live in close proximity to windfarms, and are really rather proud of them (as well as benefitting directly from them). Some people don't get their knickers in a twist over phantom fears. Some people are capable of recognising a Good Thing when they see it.

Once again, it seems, VVASP can only shout, threaten and regurgitate inaccurate information.

1 comment:

  1. My Dear Aeolus,

    When you make sweeping accusations can you be more specific. Please don't mis-construde, I am not a VVASP member, but you refer to statement(s) of VVASP, which/what statement(s) can you please enlighten, you really must endorse, or at least put a link to the 'shout, threaten and regurgitate information' you are referring to, otherwise your words bear no substance. For all I know you have a vivd imagination and are making them up?

    If the residents of Fintry, Stirlingshire have been in touch with you and have such wonderful things to say why didn't you ask them to personally post a comment on your blog, rather than you, masquerading as Aeolus, a God, and writing words on their behalf. I expect you did a little research and then embellished to try and spice it up!

    When you say some of the people live in close proximity....how close is close, did you actually ask? I have actually had direct contact with the Fintry Development Trust myself and this is what they informed me (their words not mine): "The nearest house to the existing windfarm is about 1km away but this is an isolated cottage rather than part of the village"

    Let everyone view for themselves some images of the Fintry wind farm (link below), can you see a house in sight? Certainly not within 400m.

    http://www.fintrydt.org.uk/index.php?mact=Album,m3,default,1&m3albumid=2&m3returnid=56&page=56

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