Weather
Protest at Prowind's plan to build wind turbines near Hambleton, Thorpe Willoughby, Gateforth, Birkin and West Haddlesey (From York Press)
Get in touch: send your photos, videos, news & views by texting YORK to 80360 or send an email»
News coverage for York, North Yorkshire, East Yorkshire and Harrogate.
Protest at Prowind's plan to build wind turbines near Hambleton, Thorpe Willoughby, Gateforth, Birkin and West Haddlesey
8:50am Monday 28th September 2009
MASSIVE protests have blown up against proposals for two wind farms in the Selby district.
Scores of local residents have lodged objections to the plans by Prowind to construct seven, 125 metre-tall turbines on land north of Hambleton and Thorpe Willoughby, and 14 of the same height on a site between Gateforth, Birkin and West Haddlesey.
Prowind estimates that, every year, the development near Hambleton – which would be known as Bishopwood Wind Farm – would generate electricity for about 10,500 homes, and the one near Gateforth – which would be called Woodlane Wind Farm – enough for 21,000 dwellings. Residents claim the wind farms would ruin the outlook, reduce the value of properties and even affect golfers’ play on a golf course.
St Mary’s Church, in Birkin, has submitted a petition to Selby District Council, signed by 67 people, against wind turbines being sited within view of the building, claiming: “It would affect the setting of the church and its position in the village as a place of worship and for the celebration of baptisms, marriages and funerals.”
One resident wrote on the authority’s website that the turbines at the Bishopwood Wind Farm would ruin the outlook to and from several listed buildings in the area, including Gateforth Hall, Birkin Church, Gateforth Lodge and Monk Fryston Hall.
Another said the proximity of the wind farm to Hambleton and Thorpe Willoughby would reduce the value of nearby properties and put people off living in the area.
Scalm Park Golf Club, which is close to where the development would be, claims one of the turbines there would cause severe problems in discerning the flight of balls from part of the course.
Prowind has said the layout of Bishopwood Wind Farm has been carefully designed to minimise impact on the landscape, the environment and residents, with each turbine situated at least at the minimum required distance from houses, watercourses, ponds, woodland and roads.
More News stories
- Gas mains work brings parking problems for residents
- Arsonists set fire to hay in York fields
- York gallows set for a makeover
- Term start delayed at school as asbestos is found
- Revamp of York's main library £30k over budget
- Miss York misses out in national competition
- Higher taxes for strong beer backed
- East Yorkshire council’s savings will cushion cuts
- Big queues as new TK Maxx Woman fashion store opens
- York 50+Festival programme launched
Your Say YourPress
Grumpy Old Man, York says...
10:22am Mon 28 Sep 09
scooterboy, york says...
10:41am Mon 28 Sep 09
myselby, selby says...
10:59am Mon 28 Sep 09
oldgrumps, York says...
11:40am Mon 28 Sep 09
Time to get real folks, while there is still time. And yes, I would want one in my back yard.
oldgoat, York says...
11:54am Mon 28 Sep 09
I cannot understand people who think these wind turbines are ugly. Have they ever driven past Thorpe Marsh, Drax or Ferrybridge and waxed lyrical on the graceful cooling towers, steam and coal trains? Perhaps not.
On the other hand, a wind turbine is something you can get used to seeing, is graceful, gives you clean energy from a free source, and will not depress your house price - I'd happily buy a house within a quarter mile of one!
bloodaxe, York says...
12:36pm Mon 28 Sep 09
Kynnersley, Huntington says...
12:50pm Mon 28 Sep 09
NTS, Heworth says...
12:53pm Mon 28 Sep 09
NTS, Heworth says...
12:56pm Mon 28 Sep 09
BikerSharp, Selby says...
1:07pm Mon 28 Sep 09
I agree there is a need for a move away from fossile fuels however the locations of these sites are more about convienience for the providers than giving any thought to local residents.
There is plenty of tidal power, lets not forget we are an island, and we have some of the most volatile coast lines in the world. Would it not be better to make use of this?? Ah yes now i realise, its more expensive to make and maintain items at sea!!
On shore wind farms are not the way forward, lets do it properly and build vast farms out at sea to reduce the need for fossile fuels, Britain has been faffing around with this for years its time to commit, but lets do it properly!!
I am guessing all those who have commented would not mind the constant hum and site of these things in thier back yard as doing on shore would basically mean exactly that!!
Gibbo1, Thorpe Willoughby says...
1:10pm Mon 28 Sep 09
I agree that the concerns of a church and golf club are not of the highest order but the concerns of real people are, the article failed to gain any insight into the human impact just went for the easy option. Wind turbines are best suited to locations high up or at the coast where the wind blows stronger, longer and more constantly, a fact agreed by the British Wind Energy Association, Selby District is none of the above and wind readings show the average speed to be below the minimum required to make the turbines produce any energy at all. I could go on but don't have the time to cover all the reasons why these proposals are not viable, i am not a NIMBY just someone prepared to stick up for real people.
Gibbo1, Thorpe Willoughby says...
1:22pm Mon 28 Sep 09
Even after building all the wind farms there are NO plans to shut down the coal fired plants, where do you think the power would come from during periods of little or no wind??
Oldgoat - it is nice to hear from someone willing to buy a house nearby, independent house price valuers estimate a 20-30% drop in house prices coupled with a dramatic reduction in viewings, there is a well documented case of a couple in Lincolnshire whose house is now worthless as no estate agent will even take it on their books due to the nearby wind farm, in this case the local council offered a reduction in Council Tax!! big deal after loosing all value in a £180,000 house.
People need to wake up and realise that governments are using climate change to push through their own agenda regardless of the cost, re-newable energy debates take the focus off nuclear and will do so until after the election
Grumpy Old Man, York says...
1:30pm Mon 28 Sep 09
BikerSharp, Selby says...
1:40pm Mon 28 Sep 09
What i did say was that i did not feel that wind power was the right on-shore approach for the numerous reasons listed about impacts on health!!
In order to produce enough constant power these sites would have to be vast and either on pretty much every available piece of open land or at sea!!
They simply do not offer the amount of continuous power we need, especially with the poor excuse for farms we are building.
Enough power for 10500 homes providing its windy, but not too windy as thats dangerous and they will be turned off.
So GOM read what is written first before commenting! It seems from what you have written you do not have a clue!!!
Soothsayer17, York says...
1:45pm Mon 28 Sep 09
However, I've always found people who use the term NIMBY in arguments that don’t affect their locality to be DIMBYs.
In this country we are granted the right to protest against things we feel impinge on us and I would urge everyone to use that right. If you don't, no-one will do it for you - that's the way it works and thank god for it.
BikerSharp, Selby says...
1:46pm Mon 28 Sep 09
Ah well my comments still stand!!
Gibbo1, Thorpe Willoughby says...
2:24pm Mon 28 Sep 09
I would have alot more time for comments from people in York if they encouraged their local / district councillors to do more instead of pushing for their ideas to be forced on others. I note that you take the easy option of saying i am wrong (even a cosseted property speculator mmm) without looking into the facts and putting a different side of the argument, i guess you believe that all the propsed green options are just that and must be supported whatever the cost, typical ignorance!
I ask once again what is York contributing to the re-newable energy requirements? It is easy to throw comments from long distance.
LittleTed, Toy Town says...
3:45pm Mon 28 Sep 09
Mister Sheen wrote:Get some imagination Sad'o!
NIMBY's!
scooterboy, york says...
7:26pm Mon 28 Sep 09
Get-a-grip, says...
8:01pm Mon 28 Sep 09
In Europe they realise the need, find a good site, and get on with it. We have protesters crawling all over the place.
Pathetic!
hokey cokey, heworth says...
8:16pm Mon 28 Sep 09
Get-a-grip wrote:Add High Speed Rail Lines to your list as well
I've seen many wind farms of various sizes all over France and Belgium. Why do they cause so many problems in the UK with regards to where they are sited? In Europe they realise the need, find a good site, and get on with it. We have protesters crawling all over the place. Pathetic!
petethefeet, York says...
9:37pm Mon 28 Sep 09
nomadic85, york says...
10:08am Tue 29 Sep 09
If you take a big lump of **** and add a bit more ****, it is still a big lump of ****!
Mister Sheen, York says...
10:57am Tue 29 Sep 09
LittleTed wrote:"It's just an i-llusion.... tum te tum........tra la la........."
Mister Sheen wrote: NIMBY's!Get some imagination Sad'o!
I've stood in and amongst these things and can't hear much more than a mild swishing sound!
Sad'o !? - short for ????
(Crikey! - speaking of wind! - my dog just dropped one!!! Cough !!Retch!!)
Zetkin, York says...
12:39pm Tue 29 Sep 09
`
Whilst not everyone finds them attractive, they are easily removed should a better alternative emerge in the future, unlike nuclear power stations which can remain a potentially lethal blot on the landscape for generations after they've been decomissioned.
`
I'm interested to know where the wind-farm company intends buying its equipment. The government has been bloody-minded in its refusal to nationalise Vestas, Britain's main manufacturer which has sacked hundreds of people and closed down production because it's not profitable enough for them.
`
The government says it wants to create a million "green" jobs but won't lift a finger to save 600 such jobs, so I guess the Selby district windmills will be made in Germany or North America.
Kynnersley, Huntington says...
12:57pm Tue 29 Sep 09
The ones I've been near in Cornwall are virtually silent, so what sound please explain!!!!!
Gibbo1, Thorpe Willoughby says...
5:01pm Tue 29 Sep 09
nomadic85 - the fact you cannot spell and feel the need to resort to insulting others says enough about where you are coming from. Some form of alternative argument would be good but sadly not put forward by you.
get-a-grip - Both France and Belgium have minimum distance of 1.5km from the nearest homes, the Selby proposals would NOT be built in any other European country, that is why they cause so much controversy.
Zetkin - Sadly the hundreds of thousands of tonnes of concrete required for the turbine bases is not so easy to remove and causes long lasting problems for the local area (can also lead to flooding as it alters the local water table)
Kynnersley - i live very close to the proposed site and have spent countless hours researching wind energy so i feel able to comment.
Local Advertisers
Local Information
Enter your postcode, town or place name
Mister Sheen, York says...
9:41am Mon 28 Sep 09