CREDIT WHERE IT'S DUE

Over the course of the windfarm 'debate' (when has there been any debate?), Wind of Change has been rather critical of the local media. True to type, a nimby sneezes and it makes the front page. Supporters of the windfarm point out that the nimbies have been lying their heads off ... and no one takes any notice.

But on Friday last, BBC Midlands did us all proud with a properly balanced piece of journalism.

The item was inspired by Peter Luff's misconceived campaign for a minimum distance between wind turbines and residential properties. But, rather than featuring a group of hideous nimbies spouting their usual drivel, the editorial team actually sent a reporter to a working windfarm to find out what they're really like.

The one chosen was Burtonwold Windfarm, at Burton Latimer in Northamptonshire. Assiduous followers of this blog will know that Wind of Change is familiar with Burtonwold - a ten-turbine windfarm situated less than 1 km from the nearest village and which has recently secured planning permission for a further seven turbines with no opposition whatsoever from the locals.

The reporter stood immediately underneath the blades of one 100-metre turbine, chatting away happily to the camera. Was the turbine noisy? Er ... that's a big NO, of course.

(Don't forget, the nimbies have turned the world of science on its head in order to pretend that wind turbines get noisier the further away you are!!!)

Next, the reporter interviewed a local councillor in the local village, just 800 metres from the turbines. This councillor pointed out that the turbines could not be heard, that all this lunatic talk about wind turbines being noisy was just dishonest claptrap, and that the turbines have been nothing but good news.

Cut to a tiny group of miserable looking nimbies in a garden in Sheriffs Lench, their only comment being that the proposed Lenchwick Windfarm would be "too close" to peoples' homes.

The person who made that remark appears to be in the process of moving from a village that is barely affected by the proposed windfarm to an address which is about as close to them as anybody. Naturally, the entire world should be required to back off and stop implying that climate change is going to destroy everything, because this person doesn't want a turbine nearby. End of argument.

But not only was the BBC Midlands news broadcast informative, and the biggest breakthrough in local news reporting since the windfarm issue arose, it was also subtly subversive in a way that the BBC used to be but seldom is anymore.

By highlighting the fact that the anti-windfarm protesters have sold their neighbours a bunch of total hogwash about wind turbines, the news report delicately raised the question, "What is Peter Luff's campaign really all about?"

It's not about noise, which is a non-issue. Neither is it about all those freaky, hard to identify noise issues which the protesters are so fond of moaning about, because they don't really exist.

It's not about damage to wildlife or the countryside, because there won't be any. It's not about impact on house prices, because that's yet another issue which VVASP have lied about.

So what is it about?

It's about a small number of people who have bought themselves houses in the country.

If the Lenchwick Windfarm had been proposed for somewhere else - somewhere where the per capita income range was somewhat lower - then it's unlikely that Peter Luff would have bothered to get involved.

But here, a tiny, tiny minority of people who have property interests in the area are up in arms. Like a good Tory, Luff has taken up their cause without attempting to find out whether or not they actually have a case, whether they represent local opinion, or whether we as a nation can afford to place the desires of a miniscule sample of investors ahead of the urgent needs of everyone.

As the BBC news report demonstrated, campaigning against the windfarm is stupid. It's unnecessary. And the only way VVASP can get others to support their selfish and misguided campaign is by lying and lying and lying and lying and lying and lying about windfarms.

For which the BBC news team at the Mailbox in Birmingham deserve praise and admiration.

As for Peter Luff MP, wasting parliament's time with an ill-considered defence of rampaging self-interest and anti-social behaviour ... well, what can we say?