Wind turbine threat to North East tourism

May 23 2009 by Brian Daniel, The Journal

BOSSES of a historic Northumberland estate told a wind farm inquiry the turbines would damage tourism.

Trustees of the Ford and Etal Estates also revealed they had been close to allowing turbines to be erected on their land, before pulling out of negotiations following a "backlash of public opinion".

The estate, which is home to Ford Castle and the famous Flodden battlefield, was represented at a public inquiry into three bids to erect a combined 20 structures near Berwick. Its land agent Mark Cuddigan told planning inspector Ruth McKenzie, sitting at the town’s Maltings, that he believes the wind farms would have "both a material direct and indirect long-term adverse impact" on the estate by damaging its claim to be situated in the ‘stunning North Northumbrian landscape’."

The estate comprises more than 13,000 acres of agricultural land and woodland, the villages of Ford and Etal and parts of nearby Crookham and Milfield. It is home to 48 listed buildings and 14 scheduled monuments. A total of 31 non-agricultural businesses rent property from the trustees, who employ 37 people.

Mr Cuddigan told the hearing the estate began to receive approaches from wind companies in 1995, with Force 9 Energy, developer of one of the schemes being heard at the inquiry, making contact in 2003.