'Don't let our far horizons be spoilt' say wind farm protesters

Mar 27 2008 by Brian Daniel, The Journal

COUNCILLORS who will today vote on three wind farm applications in Northumberland are being begged not to allow the Secret Kingdom to become a turbine landscape.

Berwick Borough Council’s planning committee is sitting all day to hear applications for seven turbines at Moorsyde, a further seven at Toft Hill and six turbines at Barmoor.

They are being recommended to allow the Moorsyde and Barmoor schemes, from Your Energy and Force 9 respectively, and to refuse the Toft Hill project, from nPower renewables.

Action groups which have conducted lengthy campaigns against the two proposals listed for approval yesterday issued last-ditch rallying calls to the councillors with whom the decisions rest, and local people.

A spokesman for the Moorsyde Action Group said: "We have done all we can to provide officers of the council and councillors with clear and substantiated evidence of the overwhelming costs of this scheme to our landscape, tourist economy and communities.

"All we can do now is hope that our elected representatives will make a decision that is in the best interests of the borough and local people.

"Their decision will affect the futures of us all. "They can throw open the gates and watch speculative developers turn the Secret Kingdom into a wind farm landscape or they can stand fast in the defence of the borough’s glorious landscape and its fiercely loyal people.

"We trust that they have the vision to match our far horizons."

Andrew Joicey, of the anti-Barmoor Save Our Unspoilt Landscape group, added: "It is absolutely vital that as many people as possible attend this public meeting, to show the planning committee members, who are all local councillors, how strongly the local people are against these huge and inappropriate wind farm applications.

"The presence of the large majority of concerned local people will help support our councillors in making their decision."

Today’s meeting takes place at The Maltings Theatre in Berwick from 10am.

Jury to consider turbines verdict

THE Journal Jury is today considering the benefit of wind farms as Berwick Council considers three major sites in Northumberland.

:: Are they a blot on the landscape?

:: Can they really deliver enough carbon- free energy to make a difference?

:: Will they affect tourism?

Their findings will be published in The Journal tomorrow.

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