The Campaign against Windfarms

This section of Country Guardian's website is concerned with the Campaign itself, including information about windfarm sites, opposition groups in the UK and Worldwide and practical advice.

 

 

Country Guardian's Manifesto

 

Country Guardian believes that investing in commercial wind power according to the Government's policy to reduce CO 2 emissions is misguided, ineffective and neither environmentally nor socially benign.

 

We accept that the countryside and the landscape have always changed and will continue to do so but we are concerned about the type, extent and pace of change.

 

Good planning is about balance. The irreparable ecological damage, loss of amenity and the distressing divisions within communities caused by commercial windfarms far outweigh any benefit their insignificant and unreliable contribution to our energy needs may bring with their correspondingly small and uncertain pollution savings. The colossal damage to the countryside and huge financial burden cannot possibly be justified.

 

It is the impact of these installations and their side-effects that are opposed - not wind energy per se. Wind power can be a particularly useful method of electricity generation for households, farms, estates and small communities sited away from the grid. Installations may be acceptable if they:-
  • do not detract from the natural scale and character of the local and neighbouring environments
  • do not endanger people living nearby, or those visiting the adjacent countryside, either of foot or on horseback
  • do not blight the lives of people living nearby with noise, flicker and moving shadows.
  • do not create division among local people
  • do not lead to people becoming economically disadvantaged through reduced property values
  • do not disadvantage the local economy and tourist industry.

Unfortunately Big is Beautiful in the case of windfarms schemes, and the small-scale, sustainable schemes lose out to the financial attractiveness of commercial windfarms

 

Government and Local policy is in principle supportive of renewable energy but always provided that it does not create undue adverse impact on the countryside.

 

The Countryside Act of 1968 states:-

 

" In the exercise of their functions relating to land under any enactment every minister, Government department and public body shall have regard to the desirability of conserving the natural beauty and amenity of the countryside."

 

This Act of Parliament carries great statutory weight and must remain the guiding principle in matters affecting the countryside.

 

Policy on renewable electricity generation must not be decided by developers anxious to make money from Government or European Commission subsidies and grants.

 

The countryside is far too precious to be the football of political ideologies.