Villagers protest against turbines
CAMPAIGNERS fighting plans to build 12 wind turbines on land near Beccles were out in force in the town at the weekend distributing leaflets and adding names to a petition.
CAMPAIGNERS fighting plans to build 12 wind turbines on land near Beccles were out in force in the town at the weekend distributing leaflets and adding names to a petition.
HALT is opposing proposals which could see four groups of three turbines on land in the parishes of Ringsfield, Weston, Barsham and Shipmeadow.
The campaign group had a stand in Beccles town centre on Saturday with the aim of giving local people more information about the proposals.
More than 300 local people signed a petition opposing the plans on the day including Waveney District Council leader Mark Bee and Conservative prospective parliamentary candidate for Waveney, Peter Aldous.
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Mr Bee said: “I met with representatives of HALT a few weeks back and I am very much behind their campaign. I do not want to see Beccles spoilt with huge wind turbines, although I do accept this is a technology we need to look at. I am happy for them to be built off shore and even the one onshore at Lowestoft, which I think adds something. But to spoil the countryside in this way I think would be vandalism.”
HALT spokesman Jon Rees said: “We are trying to make sure the public are informed of this particular development and what the potential impacts could be. One of our main concerns is the visual impact and how it would impact on the tranquillity of Beccles and also the impact on the Broads. Noise is another concern and we also feel that this is an inappropriate location.”
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The turbines are the idea of Beccles mother-of -two Hannah Blowers and would be put up by Stamford Renewables.
Mike Stamford, chief executive of Stamford Renewables, has said that work on green, renewable energy projects should begin without delay and that if the scheme is given planning approval a community fund set up for 12 turbines would bring in �72,000 per annum for their 25-year lifespan which could be spent on local projects. The turbines could provide power for the equivalent of 20,000 homes per year.
