Photo: Neilston Community Wind Farm in Scotland (from Community Energy Fortnight http://ukcec.org)
Plans for an industrial-scale wind turbine development near Tolpuddle in West Dorset are being scaled back.
View from Dorchester have reported that more than a thousand people had objected to the scheme, originally for ten turbines with protestors collecting more than £12,000 to fight the proposals.
Now the company behind the scheme, West Coast Energy, has said it will reduce both the size and the number of turbines being proposed.
Anti wind farm campaigners say they are delighted with the move – but have pledged to fight on and stop any turbines being built at all. Their opposition continues despite a promise by the company that one of the turbines would be “owned” by the community, bringing an estimated income of up to £100,000 a year for local projects.
Read the full article on: www.viewfrompublishing.co.uk/news_view/27780/15/1/dorchester-small-victory-for-objectors-as
Read the Tolpuddle wind farm proposals for yourself by West Coast Energy here: www.westcoastenergy.co.uk/project/west-dorset
Photo above: Isle of Eigg Wind Farm in the Inner Hebrides
1010 wrote a great post recently called ‘These local energy projects will restore your faith in humanity’ we enjoyed reading which includes stories of other wind farm and renewable energy projects in the UK – read it here: www.1010global.org/uk/2013/08/these-local-energy-projects-will-restore-your-faith-humanity
We appreciate that wind farms are still a controversial technology and Dorset Energized believes that wind turbine proposals should always be very carefully considered on a case by case basis, particularly to make sure they will not have a detrimental impact on wildlife. However, as we reported on our blog last week (‘Good Energy plans 3 new solar farms in Dorset’), according to green energy supplier Good Energy, currently only a staggering 1% of Dorset’s total energy demand comes from renewables which is a third of the UK national average, and sadly, as we also reported last month (‘New website launched to ‘Keep On Track’ of the EU’s 2020 Renewable Energy Objectives’), the UK is also behind track to achieve our objectives in obtaining 20% of our final energy consumption from renewables by 2020 (that’s less than 7 years away), in comparison to most of our EU neighbours. So we simply have to invest in renewable technologies… TODAY!
Of course wind power is just one of several renewable energy technologies. In particular, Wood Energy (Biomass), Solar Energy and green electricity supply are much more accessible and appealing to everyone. But as we are celebrating Community Energy Fortnight we do hope that anti-wind campaigners can show the same passion they have against wind farms, to support and invest in other forms of renewable energy, maybe a hydro-power project like the fabulous Bindon Mill Screw Turbine Installation near Wool.
Please let us know of any community energy projects going on or being planned near you!
I fear the same reaction may be about to occur with a forthcoming wind turbine proposal at Charlton Down near Dorchester, and with a solar farm at Mapperton.
Lessons we might draw (in my opinion) are [1] renewable energy developers need to significantly up their game in enlisting the support of local communities … what I have seen so far suggests this doesn’t seem to be a priority with some of them; [2] roll on the day when we have a much more active *community-based* renewables development company in Dorset, to give us more ownership, control and benefits; [3] many Dorset residents don’t seem to rate switching away from fossil fuels as a priority … much more work to do to explain the case, then; [4] however, people’s genuine concerns about renewables also need to be addressed – e.g. flicker / shadow is seen as an issue by people near existing turbines in both Germany and East Anglia – it doesn’t enhance our case as pro-RE campaigners if we dismiss people’s anxieties.