Well-heeled British property owners are doing all they can to frustrate attempts to build wind turbines in the countryside even though they produce clean, green energy and harm no-one.
A pensioner in Wisbech says 50 fast-growing trees planted by a neighbour will cut the amount of power produced by the wind turbine in his back garden.
Doug Fullbrook invested thousands of pounds in his energy-saving project and now wants new legislation to control tree planting near wind turbines.
There was just one objection when Mr Fullbrook applied to Fenland District Council for permission to erect the wind turbine one year ago.
Neighbour Claire Simpson objected but Mr Fullbrook was given the green light. Now Mrs Simpson has planted trees along the boundary with Mr Fullbrook’s property and immediately in front of the 15 metre high turbine. She declined to comment.
He said: “She is just being childish and if they had been open with me in the first place we could have discussed it and I probably wouldn’t have gone ahead with the turbine or I would have sited it in a different place.”
Mr Fullbrook has called on NE Cambs Malcolm Moss for help in his quest to get new laws introduced.
He said: “As I see it, the big issue is the current lack of planning legislation controlling the indiscriminate planting of trees without regard to the eventual impact on neighbours and infrastructure such as wind turbines.
“I had to go through the planning process to erect the wind turbine which has a finite shape/size and life if about 25 years. Trees, however, and particularly a small forest on your boundary, can grow to heights of 30 metres blocking the light and views, casting long shadows, and blocking the wind to wind turbines.”
Mr Fullbrook’s turbine is accredited by Ofgem and feeds directly into the national grid. A Government grant of £5,000 contributed towards the total cost of £21,000.
He may consider raising the height of the turbine to compensate for the affect of the trees.
We keep seeing this attitude again and again throughout the length and breadth of this country. The NIMBY attitude, whether this is for wind power generating plants, or for whatever on the green agenda and not just there. We must learn to embrace wind energy and other aspects of renewable energy, including also the production of methane gas and power turbines run on said gas. It can be done.
In addition to that we need combined heat and power plants, on a personal local level. That too can be done. The problem is that in Britain we always, the majority and the politicians ate least, always find an excuse and a reason for NOT doing any of this. We cannot continue to go on like that.
© Michael Smith (Veshengro), February 2008
Windmill hating little-Englanders
