Residents Voice Anger at Planned Wind Farm

By Cherie Gordon

Controversial plans to build a wind farm in North Cornwall have been angrily opposed by residents who fear it will ruin the landscape.

People living in Camelford and Davidstow are objecting to plans by Community Windpower Ltd to build 20 wind turbines at Davidstow Woods and on farmland to the South.

If given the go-ahead, the wind farm will tower over the surrounding countryside, with each turbine stretching 413 feet (126 metres) tall.

Davidstow Parish Council and Camelford Town Council both held meetings this week to discuss the proposals.

Camelford town clerk Brian Groves said: “The general opinion of local people is that the proposals are in the completely wrong location.

“There are five or six variations of bat in the woods and a large group of starlings – maybe up to one million.

“These turbines could ruin their habitat.

“We haven’t received the official application from North Cornwall District Council yet so we have not been able to take a formal view on the proposal.”

Community Windpower submitted proposals for 20 turbines which would generate 131,400 million units of electricity per year – enough electricity to power about 28,000 homes.

Gillian Cropper, project manager for Community Windpower, said that if the proposals were given the go-ahead, the wind farm would generate 50 per cent of Cornwall’s renewable energy target for 2010.

She said: “Community Windpower has chosen this area for a variety of reasons. It has a strong wind resource and is quite a distance from nearby properties.

“We believe this is the best site for us and it has the best resources for wind farm development.”

Davidstow parish councillor Liz Gregory said despite assurances that this was the best possible site for the wind farm, the council still had objections to the plans.

She said: “At the meeting on Tuesday the councillors drafted a letter with our objections – which are many.

“They include the fact that the site is on the edge of an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

“This wind farm is going to spoil an incredibly amazing view in one of the most beautiful areas of north Cornwall.”

North Cornwall District Council’s head of planning, Malcolm Price, said a lengthy consultation process must be undertaken before any decision could be made on the planning application.

He said Camelford Town Council would receive the details of the planning application within the next week and would then have 21 days to reply with its views.

He said: “This is not a short process. It will be continuing over the next couple of months, maybe into next year or even into the new authority.”

Mr Price also said the council had already received letters from the public with arguments for and against the proposals.

He said: “We have letters from both camps. Those who are in support of renewable energy and zero carbon, and the others who consider that there is a fundamental flaw with wind energy which is a blot on the landscape.”

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