Article
in the Western Morning News
Energy
Minister Malcolm Wicks said the Government was 'heavily relying' on wind
turbines
Energy
Minister Malcolm Wicks yesterday pledged to "redouble" the
Government's efforts to force through plans for hundreds of giant new windfarms in the face of mounting public protest.
In
the first speech since his appointment, Mr Wicks made it clear that he had no
sympathy with the growing concerns about the impact of giant wind turbines in
the countryside.
He
accused opponents of adopting a "Not in my back yard" mentality and
called for a "well-informed debate".
His
comments drew an angry response from anti-windfarm
campaigners in the Westcountry last night. The
Renewable Energy Foundation said Mr Wicks was already displaying "worrying
signs of having become a lobbying captive of the wind industry".
Richard
Jerrard, chairman of the North Devon Campaign Against Wind Turbines, said that supporters were neither ill-informed
nor Nimbys.
Mr
Jerrard, whose group was formed in protest at plans
to erect a series of giant wind turbines at West Down, near Ilfracombe,
said: "We would have hoped for a more
conciliatory approach from the new minister rather than the same spin we have
had in the past.
"We
are definitely not Nimbys, we are just concerned
about the environment and the impact this would have on the tourism industry,
which is the lifeblood of
"We
completely agree about the need for producing green energy and in certain
circumstances windfarms will be perfectly okay. But
there are much better alternatives in this area, such as tidal and wave
power."
Fellow
protester Marie Hutchings, who lost her battle to prevent the erection of giant
turbines at Bradworthy, in
"They
spoil the
"I
wouldn't mind so much if they were efficient at producing electricity or if
they benefited Bradworthy in some way but they're not
and they don't."
Mrs
Hutchings said she could hear the turbine nearest her home even with the
windows shut.
"When
they are turning, it is like the sound of a plane constantly overhead,"
she said.
"If
I have a sit down in the afternoon now, then I wake up with a headache and I am
sure that it's connected, but I don't know how you prove it.
"I
just wish someone would come along and abolish them, to be honest. The minister
ought to come and live somewhere like this before he starts making these sort of statements. But the people who are in favour of them
always live somewhere where there will never be any."
Mr
Wicks' comments came as he granted permission for a controversial plan to erect
26 80-metre wind turbines on Scout Moor in
The
announcement, which followed a public inquiry, is unlikely to give much comfort
to those who fear that large parts of the rural Westcountry,
including the fringes of
He
said it was hoped to site an increasing proportion of turbines offshore, with
as many as 700 erected at sea by the end of the decade. But he made it clear
that many more land-based windfarms would also be
needed.
"It's
a genuine target and I think we are going to have to redouble our efforts to
reach it," he said.
"Although
'renewables' covers a range of technologies - wind,
tidal, solar - much of what we are talking about at the moment are the wind turbines and to reach that target of ten per
cent means we are heavily relying on that kind of technology. We need a proper
well-informed public debate about all aspects of energy.
"Opinion
poll data suggests overall public support for wind power, but it is one of
those 'Not in my back yard' things.
"When
there is a plan in a community for wind turbines, some people - not all -
oppose them."
Mr
Wicks' comments were also criticised by the Renewable Energy Foundation. Dr
John Constable, head of policy and research, said: "Judging from the
minister's speech, the Government has yet to fully digest the vast wave of
information breaking over them.
"The
costs and difficulties of integrating wind energy on the large scale are now
obvious to everyone, though the Government itself shows worrying signs of
having become a lobbying captive of the wind industry.
"Brakes
have to be applied to onshore wind development. It is becoming transparently
clear that, for the sake of our energy future and our international role, wind
power must be assigned a realistic role, offshore, within a truly diverse renewables policy.
"Unfortunately,
in his first major speech as Engrgy Minister, Mr
Wicks seems to be sending the wrong messages and advocating the wrong
policy."