MP’s petition in inquiry call over turbines
Thursday 25th March 2010, 11:07AM GMT.
MP Lembit Opik has presented a petition to Parliament demanding a public inquiry into proposals for a large number of windfarms in Powys. He said he is yet to be convinced about the use of turbines.
Residents in the county have been fighting to stop any windfarm transportation from travelling through the area for months.
The Montgomeryshire MP said his constituents are concerned about the logistics of transporting a very large amount of material by road. Mr Opik said he is concerned about the potential damage by lorries delivering parts while the farms were being built.
“It will cause all sorts of upset, disruption and perhaps difficulty for the emergency services,” he said.
The MP said he collected 200 signatures for his petition and said he could have easily have got more.
Campaigners fear wind turbines could be built across Welshpool, Newtown, Guilsfield and Montgomery.
A spate of planning applications for windfarms have been made for sites across Mid Wales, and Welshpool Town Council says the proposed windfarms could have a “severe impact” on historic buildings.
Town clerk Robert Robinson said he hoped a public inquiry could be launched.
Mr Opik added: “There’s been a lot of reaction to the windfarm proposals.
“There’s also the question of years of heavy construction traffic. People ask about my own view. In fairness, I should say I’m personally not keen on turbines because they do have a significant local impact and also they don’t produce much energy.
“But I’m not forcing my views on others. My primary duty is to represent the public’s view, and this is why this public inquiry would be so important.”
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It is astounding that there has not been a public enquiry for this. In other parts of the country a handful of wind turbines would trigger a public enquiry. Yet in Mid Wales it seems that the 600+ turbines due for the area are for some reason exempt. Why? Who says? Ah yes that would be Welsh Assembly. Never ones to maltreat Mid Wales, WAG seem to think that they are sufficiently wise to manage the whole thing without a hiccup.
Bearing in mind that they have been asking the very developers seeking to rush through their money-making planning proposals to provide details of how best to manage their own traffic (some of the developers now on their fifth attempt at this) perhaps there should be a medal for ‘naievety in the face of business’. WAG would definately win the medal bless them…
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Lembit is a bit daft, isn’t he?
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Bet he has claimed for the stamp…….. plus 50%
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I don’t know why Lembit is anti wind turbines. They’d be a better way to charge his Segway.
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i watched lembit make his petition, i got the impression he was petioning on behalf of 4 towns and villages because of the extra heavy lorries using roads through these places to access deepest remotest mid wales, in some of the most beautiful scenic parts of wales on shropshire’s doorstep, the assembly should be standing up to the rape and desecration of dinas mawddwy and it’s neighbouring countryside. where is that famous actor who rescued snowdon, when he is desperately needed
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luddites, do they want green power of not? wind is great for wales, high tech jobs and cheap power its what we need, stop the liberal and tory councillors being so luddite
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Who likes to be forced into something when the experts continue to state that wind energy does not stack up in terms of pollution reduction; Viable Energy production and cost. How transient the current human thought when the latest OFGEM figures show that the existing windfarms produce at best a quarter of the purported output. That’s a really rational way to set up our energy supply for the future don’t you think? Even the energy companies are highly critical of wind energy. It’s all about the money stupid. That’s drying up rapidly by the way in case you hadn’t noticed…
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