Residents object to ‘eyesore’ wind turbines

Residents in Harleston fear two wind turbines planned to be built on farmland near the village will be a blight on the landscape.

UrbanWind, a sustainable wind technology company based in Glasgow, have submitted a planning application to Mid Suffolk District Council (MSDC) for two 29 metre, 100KW turbines in farmland near Gallows Lane.

But residents living near the site say they will an eyesore, would make too much noise, would create road safety problems and would not add anything to the local economy such as employment.

Harleston Parish Meeting has formed a working group to inform local residents of the plans and why they are objecting.

Bob Smith, who is on the working group and lives just 400m from the site, said the turbines would be ‘monstrous’.

He said; “They are a damn sight bigger that most if the turbines you see around farms.

“They are going to be pretty monstrous, a real eyesore.

“I will be able to sit in my living room and see them - there will be no missing them.”

Bob also said that as the turbines would be built some distance apart, it looked like there was room in the plans for others to be added in the future.

Haughley Parish Council has also voted by majority to object to the plans.

Parish chairman Alan Shaw said: “They are big things and impact on a particularly attractive part of the countryside.

“We have objected to the plans for various technical and aesthetic reasons.”

Paul McCullagh, CEO of UrbanWind, said: “I would like to reassure people in this area that this is not a wind farm, as portrayed in the media, with large numbers of very large turbines.

“Indeed the two turbines which form part of this application are a fraction of the size of those which are visible in large-scale wind farms across the UK.

“As many people are aware, the Government is keen to encourage green energy due to the rising cost of traditional forms of electricity generation - and renewable sources, such as wind turbines, will play a key role in keeping the lights on in the UK.

“Small and medium-scale turbines, such as these, are helping large and small businesses as well as farm and landowners across the country to reduce their energy bills.

“These turbines provide electricity to meet at least some of their energy demand and also allow revenue to be generated by selling back any excess power to the National Grid.”