Ripon villages rally against wind turbines (From The Northern Echo)

Ripon villages rally against wind turbines

3:10pm Tuesday 16th March 2010 in

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THREE villages are preparing for battle with a company contemplating building a wind farm in the heart of their community.

Residents of Melmerby, Hutton Conyers and Wath, all near Ripon, are united against plans by Volkswind UK Ltd to erect seven 415 feet high turbines on land adjacent to Melmerby Industrial Estate.

Volkswind is currently scoping opinion to determine feasibility and what obstacles could stand in its way should it submit a full planning application to Harrogate Borough Council (HBC).

A recent meeting of Melmerby and Middleton Quernhow Parish Council was attended by more than 80 people from the villages.

Afterwards its chairman, Peter West, wrote to HBC: "The feeling of all of those present was vocal in the extreme in its opposition and all three parish councils pledged to work in concert to oppose, most vigorously, this alarming proposal."

Some residents have now formed the Friends of Ripon Environment and Heritage (FREH).

John Milner, chairman of Hutton Conyers Parish Council, said the turbines would blight the landscape and criticised local landowners for agreeing to site them.

"It’s a very lucrative thing for them," he said. "They are paid handsomely for a site. We live in a rural area and put up with the things associated with agriculture but when it’s something commercial its a bit too much. I don’t think it’s about saving the planet."

The Ministry of Defence is against the plan believing that the turbines would cause "unacceptable interference" to its Air Traffic Control and Precision Control radars.

Volkswind’s agent, Chris Calvert of Pegasus Planning, said: "Currently, the project is at an early stage and we have only just undertaken an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) scoping exercise with the local planning authority, as is normal practice.

"As the scheme progresses, Volkswind are committed to keeping the local community informed of their project and listening to their views. It is envisaged that we will be undertaking public consultation later in the year once more environmental assessment has taken place so as to explain the project in more detail and gain feedback."