Thursday 6 June 2013

A step in the right direction: UK citizens will be given power to kill off new onshore wind turbines

No more landscape destroying, bird-killing monster turbines in the UK.
(image wikipedia)

Finally, David Cameron has seen the light: 

Residents given the power to kill off new wind turbines in move Tories claim will end controversial onshore developments

  • Schemes will need local residents' consent before planning application can be made - handing them the power to prevent turbines being erected
  • The drive for renewable energy will no longer be used as a reason for overriding environmental and other concerns
Communities are to be given a powerful ‘veto’ over wind farms in a move that Tories claim will mean the death of controversial new onshore developments.
Schemes will have to gain local residents’ consent before a planning application can even be made, effectively handing them the power to prevent turbines being erected.
Planning rules are also to be changed so that the drive for renewable energy can no longer be used as a reason for overriding environmental and other concerns.
Former energy minister John Hayes, a leading critic of onshore wind turbines who has been pushing for reform since moving to Downing Street as a senior adviser to David Cameron, told the Daily Mail: ‘No means no.
‘No longer will councils and communities be bullied into accepting developments because national energy policy trumps local opinion. Meeting our energy goals is no excuse for building wind turbines in the wrong places.’
Read the entire article here.

The next move should be to eliminate subsidies for useless and expensive offshore wind turbines. 

1 comment:

Mac said...

Sadly, it seems they're also proposing to increase the 'bribe' payable to communities as a way to encourage a 'favourable result'.