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Protect our moors from wind farms
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Translate: FROM English | TO English
After reading Chris Mackin’s comments about windfarms (“Back new wind farms”, Mailbag, March 22) I can only conclude that the writer is extremely naive or deluded.
While there is definitely a case for wind generation on a small, local scale, large groups of huge turbines in remote areas are not only destructive to the environment but inefficient.
It is basic physics that the more cable that is needed to transmit what power is generated the greater the amount lost through resistance.
Wind turbines require huge concrete foundations that will destroy the peat bed for ever as well as leaching salts into the ground that will counter the natural acidity and disrupt the water table.
The access road required for the proposed new wind farm proposed for the Pennines will also permanently obliterate a large part of the current eco-system and destroy an ancient track currently designated as a bridle path.
When the wind farm at Ovenden Moor was constructed some years ago a condition of the planning permission was that the site and surrounding area should be restored to its former condition. This has not been done and is unlikely to be done.
Not only have we been left with an ugly pitted stretch of Tarmac that provides a playground for boy racers and arsonists who steal and burn cars but the old track that consisted of oak rails set into granite
setts and served the former quarries was destroyed.
The usual fly tipping that increasingly despoils our countryside is now easier due to better access and faster getaway.
The brown hares once common in this area have been pushed out due to increased disturbance from visitors.
A far better approach has been taken in Brittany, where a single turbine is commonly seen in the middle of some small business parks to provide power where it is needed with having less visual and environmental impact.
Far from writing to the council supporting what will be a permanent blot on the landscape providing questionable benefit, we should do our utmost to preserve our diminishing countryside and look at ways of energy production on site whereever this is possible.
The same should also be done with waste disposal and recycling, perhaps the two could be combined.
C. J. Horsman
30 March 2007
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