We Want a Wind Farm teams up with the new Middlewick Wonder of Wind campaign. Watch this space!
Archive for May, 2010
We’re joining forces with Middlewick Wonder of Wind
Thursday, May 20th, 2010‘We love living with a wind farm’
Tuesday, May 18th, 2010Middlewick project is nothing to be scared of urge residents of Lincolnshire village
People living next door to a working wind farm say that Southminster residents have nothing to fear from the proposed Middlewick wind farm.
Developer RidgeWind is hoping to construct a nine turbine wind farm 3km from Southminster. The company already operates a wind farm that is very similar in size, layout and topographic location – Bagmoor in North Lincolnshire. Bagmoor has been generating power since August 2009 – it has eight turbines and is just 1km from the village of Dragonby.
25-year old Helen Walker lives in the High Street, and her experience disproves claims that wind farms affect the quality of life for people living in close proximity to them. She says “They haven’t bothered me at all. They make no noise and I think the view of them is quite nice. We knew the wind farm was being built when we moved here six months ago, but it didn’t put us off.”
Elizabeth Lawton-Smith runs a riding school and livery stables just half a mile from Bagmoor wind farm. She comments “During the time the turbines were constructed I did not notice any change in behavior in the horses and ponies, they don’t appear to notice them! When we hack down Bagmoor Lane we are probably less than 500 metres away and the noise of the turbines has not caused any problems to date. If anyone concerned by the prospect of having a wind farm nearby wishes to contact me, or indeed come and visit my premises to see for themselves, they are very welcome.”
The Bagmoor wind farm also puts financial investment into Dragonby via its Community Benefit Scheme (CBS). A portion of the revenue generated by the windfarm is given to the village to support various projects. This equates to approximately £24,000 per year, and is part of a 25 year commitment – the lifetime of the project.
On top of the CBS, another group to benefit is the Normanby Park Sports Club, whose Trustee and Club Coach Paul Cowling said “When the Normanby Park sports pavilion was destroyed by arsonists in September 2007 it looked like a century of sporting tradition had come to an end. It was only through the support of companies like Ridgewind that allowed the club to re-group and build for the future. Ridgewind’s extremely kind donation of £10,000 allowed us to rebuild the pavilion, which now provides sports facilities for over 200 local youngsters. The new building is set within the Normanby country estate, with the Bagmoor wind farm providing an appropriate backdrop – reminding us of who made all this possible.”
If the Middlewick project is given the green light by Maldon District Council, then a similar Community Benefit Scheme is planned for Southminster. It would be administered by a committee formed of local Parish Council members and will be worth up to £54,000 per year (depending on turbine selection) during the lifetime of the windfarm. This could equate to over £1.3m of investment in the Dengie Peninsula over a quarter of a century.
Dragonby locals have also been offered an electricity subsidy of £250 a year for a minimum of two years, in addition to RidgeWind offering two £1000 scholarships to local students with plans to attend a higher education institute.
RidgeWind also organises regular tours of Bagmoor for school groups. James Dixon teaches Geography at nearby St Bede’s Catholic School -“There is no doubt that to have witnessed the construction, and now operation, of the wind farm has been a positive experience. I have now visited the wind farm twice, both of which with GCSE groups. Gaining the experience of visiting and seeing a wind farm is much better than just seeing it in the classroom. Some quotes from students – “That was great!” “I couldn’t believe how quiet the turbines are” and “It’s amazing how they can still farm around the turbines.” I look forward to keeping the partnership with RidgeWind up and visiting the wind farm regularly in the years to come.”
NOTES TO EDITORS
- Middlewick will create enough electricity to power 9620 homes – that’s 38% of all the homes in the Maldon district
- The planning application was submitted to Maldon District Council in January 2010, a decision is expected by early summer 2010.
- More information at www.ridgewind.com
Note that we have been provided the text of this press release for use on our website by RidgeWind, but that We Want a Wind Farm is in no way connected to RidgeWind. We support the development of the Middlewick Wind Farm because we need to decarbonise the production of energy.
Supporters and protesters to go head-to-head on Saint FM
Friday, May 14th, 2010Windfarm supporters and protesters are being given the opportunity to go head-to-head in an hour-long radio debate.
Developer RidgeWind has submitted an application to build a nine-turbine farm – now commonly known as the Middlewick windfarm – three kilometres east of Southminster.
Representatives from Ridgewind and Siege (Southminster Inhabitants Environmental Group Enterprise) will both be on the panel in front of a live studio audience.
Saint FM, the Maldon district’s community radio station, will host the debate on June 14 from 7.30pm at St Peter’s High School, Southminster Road, Burnham.
The debate will be recorded and played on the radio – 94.7fm – on various times in the following week.
To be a part of the studio audience, call 01621 787829 or e-mail sandra.martin@saintfm.org.uk
Pro wind farm group set up in Burnham
Wednesday, May 12th, 2010By Adam Cornell
A PRO wind farm group has been set up in Burnham.
Residents Patti Kyrnza and Lauren Hartley have set up Middlewick WoW (Wonder of Wind) to challenge Siege – Southminster Inhabitants Environmental Group Enterprise.
The pair have accused Siege – which campaigns against wind farms in the Dengie Peninsula – of scaremongering and have now set up the new lobbying group as a direct response.
For the full story see this week’s Standard.
Radio Station to host Wind Farm Debate
Wednesday, May 12th, 2010Saint FM, Maldon District’s Community Radio Station, is hosting a debate about the proposed Middlewick Wind Farm.
The event is taking place on Monday 14th June at 7.30pm in the Drama Studio at St Peter’s High School, Southminster Road, Burnham-on-Crouch, CM0 8QB.
Developer RidgeWind is hoping to construct a 9-turbine wind farm on the Dengie Peninsula, 3km east of Southminster. Opposition to this project has come from a campaign group called SIEGE (Southminster Inhabitants Environmental Group Enterprise).
Representatives of both RidgeWind and SIEGE – along with other interested parties, both for and against the project – will be on the panel for this hour long debate.
It will take place in front of a live studio audience, who will also have the chance to pose their questions.
Saint FM Station Manager Sandra Amey-Martin says “Saint FM prides itself on being a radio station by the community and for the community – therefore it is vitally important that we cover the issues that are affecting the lives of local people with events such as this. This is a chance for the public – and the Maldon Councillors making the decision on planning permission for the Middlewick Wind Farm – to hear all about it directly from the people actually involved.”
If you want to be in the studio audience for the Middlewick Debate, please contact Sandra Amey- Martin 01621 787829 or sandra.martin@saintfm.org.uk
The Middlewick debate is also being recorded and will be played out on St FM 94.7 at various times during the week, for details and times please check the Saint FM website. You can also listen online at www.saintfm.org.uk
Middlewick Wind Farm Support Group Launches
Monday, May 10th, 2010Scaremongering over a proposed wind farm has got the wind up a group of Dengie residents.
In fact, they’ve become so fed-up with the claims of rival organisation, SIEGE they have established their own lobbying group, Middlewick WoW.
The acronym stands for ‘Wonder of Wind’ and is the brainchild of Lauren Hartley and Patti Kyrnza, both from Burnham on Crouch.
The pair decided to start their campaign as a direct response to Southminster Inhabitants Environmental Group Enterprise, the group campaigning to prevent the Middlewick Wind Farm from going ahead.
Patsy says “There has been a lot of rubbish said and written about this project – including visibility of the turbines, transport, house prices, noise and wildlife – but these are all lies designed by the anti-protestors to frighten people into siding with them. We got so frustrated by their outrageous claims that we decided to start a group in support of the wind farm and do all we can to make sure the true facts are heard.”
She added, “We want to show the Maldon Councillors making the final decision that the majority of local people ARE in favour of Middlewick, and they should not be taken in by the claims of a vocal minority.”
Lauren believes that clean, locally-generated ‘green’ energy can only be a good thing, saying “Wind power is fantastic and desperately needed. Middlewick will supply electricity to 38% of all the homes in the Maldon district. People need to wake up and realise that unless we start utilising these alternative sources of power, we are not going to be able to turn on our lights in 15 years time. WoW will be doing all it can to make sure this project goes ahead, by carrying out lobbying and distributing leaflets and posters. ”
To get involved with Middlewick WoW, please call Patti Kyrnza on 01621 784394 or email pakyrnza@idnet.com
Plans to construct a nine turbine wind farm, 3km east of Southminster have been submitted to Maldon District Council, with a decision due early summer 2010. For more information on Middlewick Wind Farm, visit www.ridgewind.com
