Article
Locals Set for Fight on Turbines
This is South Wales|Leon Watson|February 10, 2006
Protesters have re-launched a campaign to fight plans for three giant wind turbines in Waunarlwydd. The village's wind farm pressure group has been put back on track at a hastily arranged meeting.
Protesters have re-launched a campaign to fight plans for three giant wind turbines in Waunarlwydd. The village's wind farm pressure group has been put back on track at a hastily arranged meeting.
More than 150 people turned up to hatch a battle plan directed at proposals to build three 68-metre turbines.
A committee of residents has now been given the go-ahead at Waunarlwydd Rugby Club to lead the campaign.
If approval is given, the 660KW turbines will be sited at the Timet UK plant in the village, which finishes titanium into fan blades for Rolls Royce aero engines.
The company is hoping the mini wind farm will cut power bills and reduce its dependence on the National Grid.
But residents say the plan will not benefit the wider community or make any impact on Britain's looming energy crisis.
They expressed concerns that the turbines would turn Waunarlwydd into Swansea's "windmill village", create too much noise and make …
More than 150 people turned up to hatch a battle plan directed at proposals to build three 68-metre turbines.
A committee of residents has now been given the go-ahead at Waunarlwydd Rugby Club to lead the campaign.
If approval is given, the 660KW turbines will be sited at the Timet UK plant in the village, which finishes titanium into fan blades for Rolls Royce aero engines.
The company is hoping the mini wind farm will cut power bills and reduce its dependence on the National Grid.
But residents say the plan will not benefit the wider community or make any impact on Britain's looming energy crisis.
They expressed concerns that the turbines would turn Waunarlwydd into Swansea's "windmill village", create too much noise and make property values plummet.
Titanium company Timet is pushing the application for a third time after opposition from villagers beat off its plans in 2003 and 2004.
This time, the company has the backing of an independent environmental survey.
Meeting organiser Dave Beetlestone said: "I don't know of anywhere else in the country where there are wind turbines so close to a conurbation."
More than 500 signatures have been collected for a petition against the proposal, and people were urged to write to Swansea Council to express their opposition.
"If this goes ahead, they are going to be just 500 metres away from where people are living," said Mr Beetlestone.
He went on to outline fears that the turbines would be as high as a 22-storey building and taller than Gorseinon's 3M tower.
"Waunarlwydd is going to be known as a windmill village and people won't want to come here," he said.
Gowerton resident Steve Bolchover, who also helped organise the meeting, expressed concerns that the turbines could interfere with airport radar, disrupt TV signals and not produce anywhere near as much energy as Timet claims.
Timet plant manager Tim Gibbons said the company would follow planning procedures.
"We will be going through the planning process in the correct way and any questions that arise will be answered," he said. "The council will then have to decide."