PROPOSED ARMISTEAD WINDFARM
Thank you to all those who made objections to the plans. On the 30th October 2008 - the Planning Committee met in Kendal to determine the application and rejected it by 12 votes to 1 citing adverse impact on both landscape and residential amentiy.
Banks Developments have now lodged an appeal against the Planning Committees refusal of their planning application.
For further updates please see ABLOT's website from which the following is taken:
OTHER PROPOSALS IN THE AREA
Sillfield - planning application in for a ‘Wind Cluster’ of three 110m high turbines east of Gatebeck, effectively an extension of Armistead. These would dominate what some believe to be one of the most beautiful views in the country, at West View and visible from a wide area from the M6 J36 to New Hutton (Endmoor, Gatebeck, Preston Patrick). Ironically it would be more visible from Old Hutton than Armistead. (Public meeting 22nd October Endmoor Village Hall, 7.30pm)
Stribers near Cartmel - Further afield, but just as appalling, is the possible application for turbines overlooking Cartmell, very near to Holker Hall. The people in the area are up in arms.
These three proposals are all in the formal planning stage. Others near Hutton Roof/Kirkby Lonsdale and Arkholme are under active consideration. You need to act now to stop our area being turned into an industrialised eyesore. in areas where wind factories proliferate, house values are reduced, as shown by property owners now being able to seek reduction in Council Tax bands.
Evidence mounts that wind turbines are the most inefficient and expensive way of trying to reduce CO2 emissions. E-on recently made a statement to the House of Lords showing that, because of its inherent unreliability, wind energy would need 95% back up by coal or gas-fired power plants. Why should we take such risks with our beautiful countryside, when the benefits are so limited and so costly?
MP's against Armistead and Sillfield.
Tim Farron MP has visited the sites and those who would be most affected by Armistead and Sillfield and considers that the developments are totally unsuited to this area. His stance is supported by Gareth McKeever, the Conservative candidate for the constituency, who is also totally opposed.
Tim Farron commented on the proposals as follows:
“I’m passionately in favour of renewable energy – my great fear with wind farm proposals like these is that they allow the government and the energy companies to pretend that they have a green energy agenda, when they don’t. Schemes like these add next to nothing to our energy requirements and they are a fig leaf to cover up that lack of a green energy policy. We need serious offshore wind projects, tidal barrages and hydroelectric schemes to make a real difference. Those of us who take against small wind farm schemes of this sort have a responsibility to show how we would support renewable schemes that would make a real difference – that’s why I’m working on alternative proposals to make use of the immense untapped tidal energy in the north west of England. But the Silfield and Armistead schemes will not make a difference, they will take up vast amounts of human energy in return for precious little actual energy!”