Destructive wind

IN early 2000 I attended the determination of the Long Hill wind turbine at Fenland District Council. It was an experience I will never forget, as it led to me leaving the meeting in disgust at the antics of the so called wise men of decision making. This

IN early 2000 I attended the determination of the Long Hill wind turbine at Fenland District Council. It was an experience I will never forget, as it led to me leaving the meeting in disgust at the antics of the so called wise men of decision making. This experience did not bode well for the future of Fenland or its environment.

Years later we now see the proliferation of heavy industry in rural Fenland; it is the result of not any great need or planet saving action, it is because of a combination of a badly flawed government policy, propped up by the embracement and support of a local authority that in my view is more about political brownie points and the mention in dispatches of which it so boldly boasts, another objectionable ingredient is of course industrial greed, as huge subsidies become available to landowner, developer and operator.

Wind turbines as predicted now form a moving curtain across our local landscape, a landscape turbinised and almost destroyed, so it was of no surprise to me to learn that a possible application for another 15 of these wind factories may soon join the increasing industrial army of these carbuncles in our local March environment. Meanwhile FDC insists these are a positive contribution to our fenland landscape and that they fully support and embrace this industrial vandalisation of our local rural environment.

Unbelievably, at the time of writing, notification of another application for a wind turbine in March has landed on my doorstep. All this turbine activity must surely be due to FDC firstly asking the developer into North Cambs, and its continuing support and embracement of industrial development in the rural countryside, seems like planning control is out of control as this wind rush gathers pace.

Well now we have it, a local landscape destroyed, wind developers sensing embracement, support, and easy pickings, banging on the planning door, and a council in denial that this local wind rush was not only started by them, turbines are out of control, and they can no longer contain this rural industrial carnage, after all how can you reject what you claim is a "positive contribution" that you fully "support and embrace".

JOHN STONEMAN

Cambs Environment and Wildlife Protection (CEWP)

Welney