Split develops in battle to stop wind turbines
A split in opinion has developed in a south Norfolk village, which now finds itself embroiled in another battle to stop a large wind farm .
But now the opponents have run into opponents themselves as, unusually, another pressure group has been formed in favour of the turbines and critical of the amount of public money Hempall Parish Council has spent on its campaigns.
A bigger application by another company has already been turned down but now TCI Renewables has submitted plans to erect four 126.5m high turbines, which aims to produce enough electricity to supply more than 5,000 homes.
TCI has allies in the new lobby group Power For the Future, which has met twice (see picture above) and claims it has a growing number of supporters for the Streetwood Wind Farm.
It is led by April Groen, who says that while she lives two miles outside the village, other members come from Hempnall itself.
They hailed their second meeting a great success, as more residents turned up at Hempnall Village Hall on Monday of last week. The group believes that the proposed site can accommodate the wind farm.
Mrs April Groen said: “We all need electricity and it has to come from a variety of sources. We cannot continue burning polluting and finite fossil fuels. We believe that a wind farm at Hempnall could assist in our ever-increasing demands for electricity.
“Many people like the look of wind farms and over time, they will become a part of the ever changing landscape.”
The group is made up residents who all live relatively close to the site and was formed late last year when the planning application submission wasimminent.
Another member of the steering group John Ellis, who lives next to the farmland site, said: “We are surprised at how much support there is. It is all too easy to assume there is total opposition to the wind farm.
“The developer has pledged to provide a community benefit fund of £16,000 per annum for the 25-year life of the wind farm for local good causes.”
But there is also huge opposition in the area, led by campaign group SHOWT, and South Norfolk Council has received scores of letters of opposition.
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Weather for Diss
Saturday 25 May 2013
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