Near Miss

My son in law was going in to work on the train this morning when there was a loud explosion, a fireball and something whumping into the ground nearby. The crashing helicopter, heavily reported on the news today, came down close to the railway track exactly as their train was passing, thankfully not close enough to do any damage on board except to passengers' nerves. They all assumed it was a bomb!

What a shocking accident!

Wind Turbine Threat

I've ranted about wind turbines before.

They're all fine and well (if expensive and not terribly efficient) when sited in the right place, but according to many European countries the right place is a minimum of 2 kilometres away from housing. The fact that the UK doesn't have many areas (outside of national parks) which are 2 kilometres from housing just goes to prove that onshore wind turbines are not the solution for a small crowded island.

Those countries which invested heavily in wind power (Germany and Denmark in particular) are now ceasing to support it, but the general principles (which I could talk about for hours) are not really relevant in this case. Whether you like turbines or not you have to admit that there are good reasons for not planting them too close to communities.

Our village of Birdsedge is currently under threat from a planning application to put 4 monster (100 metre) turbines barely a quarter of the European standoff distance from village houses and the local primary school, overshadowing the whole village. We already have 25 turbines just over the hill, but far enough away to be sensible and we didn't object to those, however, I'm happy to be called a NIMBY for protesting about this new application because it's an unrealistic distance. Turbines this large and this close will be noisy and all the village is in the shadow flicker zone causing strobe effects in low sun (some houses in the zone of two or even three of the turbines). There are even three of the four turbines within topple distance of a busy road. And then there are the secondary considerations of pedestrians and traffic being in the ice-drop danger zone while walking or driving past. In addition turbines kill bats. We have every known species of British bat - protected species - in this area and they feed in the wood between two of the turbines, but the firm's environmental statement manages to gloss over this.

Last time this firm tried for a windfarm here they contravened so many planning regulations that the application never even came before the planning committee, so this time they've made a few cosmetic changes and they're trying again. Sadly it's now counted as a new application which means that the 600 objection letters our supporters wrote last time will have to be equalled or beaten otherwise the firm will make a case for some of the previous objectors being satisfied by the minimal changes. If you are willing to write us a letter, or send an email to Kirklees' Planning Department please go to: http://birdsedge.co.uk/bolt.htm for the details. You don't have to live here to object. Remember, it could be your home under threat next until the UK gets it's standoff limits officially designated.

Thank you. I know in principle many of you believe in green energy. So do I, but I also believe in sustainable communities and fear that this monster industrial development in greenbelt threatens ours. Who will want to live here or send their children to the school so overshadowed?