Cheesy protest against ‘giant’ wind turbines

A group calling themselves Save Our Stilton (SOS) believe the review by Dorset County Council is just the initial stages of what will lead to the building of 180 120metre high wind turbines in the county – a claim the authority denies.

The county council is part of the Dorset Energy Group, a combination of it and district authorities, which is carrying out the review which can be viewed here.

Green energy giant Ecotricty is leading the drive to build wind turbines initially near to the small town of Stilton in Dorset.

SOS chairman, Chris Langham, believes the consultation is ‘controversial and very worrying’.

He said: “Dorset is not a windy area, we know that when the developers chose the Silton site they did not use the wind speed data collected from their own anemometer there, but instead used the UK average figure – which is much higher.

“But the subsidy system would still make it profitable to build the huge turbines here. The District Council has twice rejected their application – both times unanimously.”

A Dorset County Council spokesman told edie.net: “The purpose of the consultation document is fundamentally not to propose the erection of 180 wind turbines.

“But to present a range of scenarios for renewable energy development to gauge what people in Dorset think would be an appropriate level of ambition, informed by evidence of the renewable energy resource available in the county.

“The consultation document sets out different levels of contribution which might be made towards the legally binding targets for renewable energy generation by 2020 set nationally and internationally.

“Some of these scenarios would indeed imply a significant increase in the number of on-shore wind turbines in Dorset, as well as other forms of renewable energy, other scenarios presented imply more modest development.

“We wish to see a wider range of renewable energy developments in appropriate locations in Dorset in view of the potential local economic and other benefits they offer.”

The review is expected to be concluded in October.

Luke Walsh