West Cumbrian people whose homes look out on to the Solway Firth have reacted with fury to news that yet more wind turbines are planned there. Their response follows news that Energy company E.on wants to build between 70 and 100 turbines off the West Cumbrian coast. The wind farm would cover an area almost twice the size of its Robin Rigg site and would generate enough energy to power 195,000 homes.
West Cumbrian people whose homes look out on to the Solway Firth have reacted with fury to news that yet more wind turbines are planned there. Their response follows news that Energy company E.on wants to build between 70 and 100 turbines off the West Cumbrian coast. The wind farm would cover an area almost twice the size of its Robin Rigg site and would generate enough energy to power 195,000 homes.
West Cumbrian people whose homes look out on to the Solway Firth have reacted with fury to news that yet more wind turbines are planned there.
Their response follows news that Energy company E.on wants to build between 70 and 100 turbines off the West Cumbrian coast.
The wind farm would cover an area almost twice the size of its Robin Rigg site and would generate enough energy to power 195,000 homes.
Lonsdale Armstrong, 83, of Salterbeck Road, Workington, said: "The wind turbines are awful. I was born in Workington and moved back here from Lancashire for the view.
"There is far too much money being poured into a trough for this green energy and I think it's all a big con.
"The return on the investment is absolutely nothing …
... more [truncated due to possible copyright]West Cumbrian people whose homes look out on to the Solway Firth have reacted with fury to news that yet more wind turbines are planned there.
Their response follows news that Energy company E.on wants to build between 70 and 100 turbines off the West Cumbrian coast.
The wind farm would cover an area almost twice the size of its Robin Rigg site and would generate enough energy to power 195,000 homes.
Lonsdale Armstrong, 83, of Salterbeck Road, Workington, said: "The wind turbines are awful. I was born in Workington and moved back here from Lancashire for the view.
"There is far too much money being poured into a trough for this green energy and I think it's all a big con.
"The return on the investment is absolutely nothing because the cost of maintenance far outstrips the electricity they produce."
His wife Valerie, 74, said: "While we are being green over here, China and India are churning out smoke from fossil fuels.
"It's fair enough if the turbines are far away but if they came any closer I would be upset. They are intrusive."
Isabel Greenhow, 65, of The Promenade, Maryport, started a petition against Robin Rigg and wrote letters of protest to the Scottish Executive and former Prime Minister Tony Blair.
She said: "None of our neighbours like the turbines. I'm all for green energy but I don't see that they are doing much good.
"This is an area of outstanding natural beauty just like the Lake District.
"They won't have wind turbines there, so why should we have them here?"
"Wind turbines are the first thing you see when you come to Cumbria and the last things you see when you leave."
Her husband Jack, 65, said: "These wind turbines are everywhere you look now. We have more than our fair share in Cumbria.
"Robin Rigg might be in Scottish territorial waters but the power lines come in at Flimby and West Cumbrians should have more of a say."
Neighbour Cynthia Brown, 64, said: "Let them put them in the Irish Sea where they aren't bothering anyone. We paid for the view and the value of our property is bound to be affected.
"It won't make a difference what we say because last time we were against it no one listened."
Joanne Charters, 27, of Main Road, Fothergill, said: "I can see them right from my front windows, which spoils my view. They are a waste of money because they don't make as much energy as they thought and they are an eyesore.
"I hate them so much that I fell out with a friend because she started getting her electric from E.on."
Matt Spark, 69, of St Mungo's Park in Aspatria, said: "I am dead against them. Robin Rigg looks bad enough without even more turbines in the Solway.
"If I could see some benefit to them it would not be so bad.
"We have a caravan at Allonby and I don't want to have to look at wind turbines every time I open the door."
However, not everyone is against the turbines.
Tim Bolger, 76, of West Green, Allonby, said: "I quite like them. For 200 days a year in Allonby you can't see them because of low cloud and mists.
"I can't see why people complain about them. They are generating clean, non-nuclear energy."
June Metcalfe, 57, who often visits Allonby, said: "It's better when they are out to sea rather than on the land and they are certainly better than pylons."
Jimmy McKlintock, 24, of Salterbeck Road, said: "I think they are sound. It's created a lot of work and I would like to get a job out there myself. But maybe another hundred is a bit much."
The new development plans are in the early stages and the seabed must be surveyed before an exact site is identified.
It is thought that it would be further out to sea than Robin Rigg, where E.on is halfway through erecting 60 turbines.
Allerdale council planning development manager Ric Outhwaite said: "Should an application for an offshore wind farm be made to the Scottish Executive then, as was the case with the Robin Rigg development, Allerdale council would be likely to consult all parishes having a coastal boundary as well as considering views from others before making a formal representation."
A Cumbria County Council spokesman said: "Although we are not the planning authority for wind turbine applications we are a statutory consultee."
E.on has announced that Robin Rigg, which should provide enough electricity for 117,000 homes, will not start producing energy until the end of the year, eight months behind schedule.
The turbines had been due to start turning in the spring but problems with two barges set the Robin Rigg scheme back.A barge was badly damaged in gale force winds in January when the crew had to be airlifted to safety.This followed damage to a jack barge which happened early on in the project.