Anti-turbine campaigners warn: 'The battle's not over yet' (From Swindon Advertiser)
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Anti-turbine campaigners warn: 'The battle's not over yet'
7:02pm Tuesday 13th September 2011 in News By Adam Kula
South Marston anti-turbine protesters gather outside the primary school. The proposed Honda turbines will be visible behind the school
CAMPAIGNERS against giant wind turbines have issued a rallying cry: ‘We’re not out of danger yet’.
The Ill Wind campaign group is delivering around 5,000 leaflets to houses in the South Marston and Stratton area, warning supporters that despite an apparent concession over the number of turbines, “the risk to you is greater than ever before”.
The group fears the original plans for three wind turbines at Honda, not two, are still likely, and it is urging no let-up in the fight.
Ecotricity, the company behind the plan, says it will settle for two if that is what the council wants.
But Des Fitzpatrick, chairman of Ill Wind, casts the campaign as a David- versus-Goliath style battle against corporate spin, and urged residents “not to be fooled”.
He said: “Following recent press headlines, radio and TV broadcasts many people in Swindon now believe Honda have reduced their application from three turbines down to two.
“This just isn’t the case and we are distributing thousands of leaflets explaining that the application is still for three turbines – and pointing out that, even were Honda to go for two turbines, there would still be thousands of homes within the two kilometre zone that many authorities regard as too close.
“Though we are individuals battling against the spin machine of a multi-billion pound international company, we will continue to keep the people of Swindon informed of what is really happening.”
Ecotricity would build and own the 120 metre turbines, and Honda would host them at its South Marston factory. The firms have not withdrawn the original planning application for three turbines, but because of the massive public outcry, they did agree to settle for just two if they have to.
This suggestion was tacked on to the existing application, which is due to be voted on by the council’s planning committee later this year.
No date is yet set for this meeting, but it is likely to be in mid-October.
In a joint statement, Ecotricity and Honda reacted to the Ill Wind campaign.
The statement said: “The decision on whether three, two or no turbines are approved sits with Swindon Borough Council, but Honda and Ecotricity have made it clear that if they chose to approve two turbines we would accept this and progress with a development of only two.
“If only two turbines were approved, the same planning committee which had refused the third turbine, would have to approve any amendment to build a third, and this would, therefore, be very unlikely.
“There is no intent, nor would be any opportunity, to build a third turbine on this site if we received permission for two.
“The latest Ill Wind leaflet also repeats a number of falsehoods and inaccuracies about issues including vibrations, sleep and safety that are at risk of confusing or even scaring local people.
“We’d encourage people to contact us directly if they have any specific concerns.”
Comments(23)
Hmmmf
says...
7:50pm Tue 13 Sep 11
Make progress wrote:So, in your opinion windscam turbines are "Progress", South Marston is an ugly place, and people who don't agree with you are 'complainers'. Do you work for Ecotricity, by any chance?
How can anyone expect Honda or any other business to stay in Swindon when all people do is complain about progress. It is also worth saying south marston is not the nicest looking place around with no shop a bad pub all surrounded by the A420 a railway line and 3 different industrial estates I don't think afew wind turbines will make a real difference.
Make progress
says...
8:28pm Tue 13 Sep 11
South marston lacks any real beauty apart from the middle section around the school which is quite far away from the wind turbines, you enter by a industrial estate and you leave by an industrial estate so why live in the middle of an industrial estate if you have such a problem with industrial estates and the things that come with living in such an area. Maybe you buy a house next put abit more thought into it.
I live and work in highworth have mo freinds or family in Honda or ecotricity.
So by saying that you are complaining about the plans is quite a clear observation I would say you are hardly praising the plan.
As above south marston is fine in the centre but pretty grey/brown and grim on the edges unless you like warehouses & a empty crown estate.
Wind turbines are a way forward as are solar panels (like the large field full of them on the edge of south marston which no one seemed to have a problem with).
Why not put your time and effort in to something that matters maybe charity work, raising money for community shop like the one in blunsdons that adds a hub in the community rather than just trying to protect your house prices.
itsamess
says...
9:47pm Tue 13 Sep 11
You do appear to have your facts wrong as to the village-and indeed
Hondas--more Ecotricities intentions.
The closest one to houses in Stratton
and SM has been withdrawn and the big con of grants and FIT are major
factors. The same applies to solar panels--driven by greed and profits--rather than energy issues.
Make progress
says...
10:26pm Tue 13 Sep 11
What is major problem with this project then I can see four wind turbines from my house and don't think I have ever heard anyone complain about them after they were in a couple of weeks.
Also please expand your point on my facts being wrong about south marston, maybe it's the broken barn roof as you come in on the left or the broken down ply fence on the bend before the empty looking crown estate although now that bloke has taken down all his stupid signs on his house that burned down there had been a real change to the village. Then you get to the pretty bit in the middle then back to the actual south marston industrial estate.
A420, A419, industrial estates, shopping centre, police station, railway & rail link real shame to put a couple of windmills there to ruin it all
itsamess
says...
10:34pm Tue 13 Sep 11
itsamess
says...
10:45pm Tue 13 Sep 11
nor wind turbines or solar--the govt has already cut out the subsidies on solar farms and many have been cancelled. Wind farms do have the capability to produce the power--but only under certain conditions--solar power is reliant on daylight--so in the winter--very little power will be produced--simple really. If you believe
electric will be cheaper--dream on brother.
Make progress
says...
11:16pm Tue 13 Sep 11
What real affect Will any of this have on your day to day life's. Solar panels can make a difference even in the winter is put in the correct locations as can wind farms even it is a small change that must be better than nothing. I have no dream of cheaper electric brother nor of petrol or gas but any change that can be made is a change, if it fails to pay off then things will be learned and advances will be made, it is better to try and fail surely.
Again I ask what is the problem with Honda putting them in a part from the look of them what differance will it make to any of you, try fighting for some thing that matters. Or build a fossil or nuclear power station to power your computer. People in green houses
itsamess
says...
11:26pm Tue 13 Sep 11
Make progress
says...
11:32pm Tue 13 Sep 11
itsamess wrote:Maybe if people had used the shop it would have been ok but I bet most of you go to sainsburys as it's ok as long as big business makes your life cheaper.
There were 3 pubs--now 2 and a hotel and bar--there was a shop until it lost the post office--and there is an exit onto the A420--no trading estate.
It lost the post office as no one used it same as any other post office maybe start a campaign to sort out the eye sore that is the old post office.
Notice you didn't say they are nice pubs do you support your few local pubs or just spend your time worrying about what's happening in your back garden.
Have you never left the village you have a industrial Estate on all 3 roads out open your eyes it's a changing world out there
itsamess
says...
11:49pm Tue 13 Sep 11
but drive through to work down vicarage lane to the A420--no trading estate until shrivenham.
Make progress
says...
7:49am Wed 14 Sep 11
So again you don't live in the village and don't even make regular visits to anywhere near the site of the turbines, so what is your actual problem with them.
Hope you enjoy your drive to work I in your pollution making car, you care about matters so much do you car pool, use public transport or try riding or working & living near your place of work or do you just like wingeing about things that make no difference to you.
Robfm
says...
8:44am Wed 14 Sep 11
As for the turbines I suspect the next batch of leaflets will be as accurate as the last ???
itsamess
says...
12:22pm Wed 14 Sep 11
The history of SM is well chronicled both in swindon and county records held in chippenham. It indeed holds all the records for SM since 1200 and lists the owners of every property and
when notable buildings were demolished and its aristocratic links.
You will find many true locals know of
pubs in the area. The Royal Oak was a canalside pub where Acorn Bridge
Farm is now and most of the buildings are still listed buildings. The building that became the Marston is listed i believe. The Carriers is the oldest existing pub in the village and the Carps is the youngest--i believe.
The Marston was open until the early to mid 2000s as i dropped a friend there regularly after he was banned for drink driving. The village store closed for numerous reasons.
As for the turbines--despite there being clear issues of concern the fact being the modified plan removing the
closest to SSM leaves the SM protesters floundering--any speakers
at the hearing in my view should only be from property owners likely to be affected--however a legal challenge could be made if the identified innacuracies in the application have not been amended. Case of wait and see.
Robfm
says...
12:43pm Wed 14 Sep 11
As for the age of the Carriers no idea, what I do know is we have a copy of the Ordnance Survey map for SM dated 1825 where the Carpenters is featured but neither the Carriers or South Marston Arms appears.
As for the South Marston Arms, Walter you are very much mistaken, we came to South Marston in 1999 and the Village Hotel had already existed for 5 years, so whilst you could clearly have dropped someone off in the mid 2000's it was very much an established hotel under the Swallow band. Also no it is not listed neither is the Carriers or the Carps. I do have the full list of SM's listed properties if you would like to see them.
As for the post office it closed because the owner wanted to raise the rent by 200%, absolutely nothing to do with RM, the only then could not get another tenant so decided to convert bedsits, but didn't think he needed to get permission, it has remained empty and partially converted since.
Real expert on SM aren't we.
Back to turbines, the corrections to the original overview by Eco was done a long time ago and accepted by SBC, so again your knowledge is far from up to date.
itsamess
says...
1:54pm Wed 14 Sep 11
1827 the Carriers was built.
The Marston was owned by Swallows
and as a pub--possibly under membership rules--i will ask my friend as he was there every night.
As i stated the post office and shop closed for many reasons.
The current application was modified
after the planning hearing for all 3 turbines and reduced to 2 for the next hearing with further changes-but there are still inaccuracies.
In other words--read what i say in broad terms instead of fitting it to what you think i say.
Do you know when SM went from single ownership?
kwirkykirky
says...
4:50pm Wed 14 Sep 11
Make progress wrote:I can only speak for myself here but the reason I didn't protest about the solar panels (that directly affect the view from my home) is because I'm not a knee-jerk nimby who is petty and pathetic enough to complain about how something looks. (incidentally they look pretty horrible)
Anything that helps a business expand or cut costs will make them feel more committed to an area, the lose of an employer like Honda would lead to large scale unemployment which in turn would lead to shop closures further unemployment and the decline of an already failing town.
South marston lacks any real beauty apart from the middle section around the school which is quite far away from the wind turbines, you enter by a industrial estate and you leave by an industrial estate so why live in the middle of an industrial estate if you have such a problem with industrial estates and the things that come with living in such an area. Maybe you buy a house next put abit more thought into it.
I live and work in highworth have mo freinds or family in Honda or ecotricity.
So by saying that you are complaining about the plans is quite a clear observation I would say you are hardly praising the plan.
As above south marston is fine in the centre but pretty grey/brown and grim on the edges unless you like warehouses & a empty crown estate.
Wind turbines are a way forward as are solar panels (like the large field full of them on the edge of south marston which no one seemed to have a problem with).
Why not put your time and effort in to something that matters maybe charity work, raising money for community shop like the one in blunsdons that adds a hub in the community rather than just trying to protect your house prices.
To my knowledge there are no health risks attributed to solar panels. So, Make Progress, 'nobody seemed to have a problem with it' because most of us at SM are intelligent people who are for renewable energy sources like any rational human being. I am not against the Eco-Tricity turbines because they don't look pretty, for crying out loud!
There is plenty or anecdotal evidence regarding the negative health effects of wind turbines next to houses. So please forgive me for being concerned when three turbines designed to be sited off shore away from houses are about to be planted within metres of my house.
Make progress
says...
7:53pm Wed 14 Sep 11
My only interest in this matter is the complete lack of imformation anyone seems to want to produce on this site as to why they don't want them, you just look like a bunch of busy bodies whining about another non issue step it up abit or no apart from you will care.
People like itsamess don't really help sounds like a real pain in the b*m
itsamess
says...
8:59pm Wed 14 Sep 11
Wind power is far from perfect but i am all for it. New technology is on the way that will improve the efficiency.
Solar energy is also a valuable source
of energy which varies as to the type.
Dual panels on houses and buildings
for heat and electricity is good--but filling acres of fields with low quality
panels i disagree with for numerous reasons.
Still About
says...
12:53am Thu 15 Sep 11
7:53pm Wed 14 Sep 11
"Solar panels offer the same health risk as phones and other types of devices."
No.
They do not.
Solar panels merely absorb light and convert it to cabled electricity
Make progress
says...
7:50am Thu 15 Sep 11
Still About wrote:Thanks for help highlight my point you say they dont but lots of people say they do just like wind turbines, all of the health problems linked to either are unproven and are the types of things that could be caused by many other items.
Make progress says...
7:53pm Wed 14 Sep 11
"Solar panels offer the same health risk as phones and other types of devices."
No.
They do not.
Solar panels merely absorb light and convert it to cabled electricity
There are people who say that solar panels produce radiation as causing a condition called electro hypertensive disorder, there are also people who say similar things about wind turbines but this is also unproven.
Seems not alot to base a argument on
Robfm
says...
8:05am Thu 15 Sep 11
It is the same with the alleged deaths due to turbines, 99% of them are Industrial accidents, ie installers and maintainers.
The vast majority of bird and bat fatalities have occurred where wind farm clusters have used old style lattice bladed turbines.
Yes there have been blade failures etc but these are very few, with no harm caused to anyone, and literally only one where small remnants of the blade travelled a 1000 yards and then it was still within the confines of the farm itself. Although Illwinds last leaflet sought to suggest this was a regular occurrence.
It really does boil down to whether you like them or you don't
Make progress
says...
4:21pm Thu 15 Sep 11
I just can't make any sense of this whole issue it just seems they want them near them due to there look
Make progress says...
7:25pm Tue 13 Sep 11