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July 23, 2006
Wind farm developer 'moves proposed Burnham
turbines at 11th hour'
![How the wind farm would look with Burnham-On-Sea in the background [Photomontage: Ecotricity]](wind-farm-burnham.jpg)
The group fighting plans for a wind farm on the outskirts of Burnham-On-Sea
claimed on Sunday (July 23rd) that Ecotricity, the developer behind
the scheme, has submitted 11th hour amendments to its planning
application.
Andrew
Manning, spokesperson for the KNOll
to Windfarm action group told Burnham-On-Sea.com that the
developer has moved the proposed wind turbines away from the railway
line because such a location would have "broken government
guidelines."
Mr
Manning explained: "We are surprised at this amendment to
the application; we recall that Ecotricity’s Chief Executive
commented in the press at the time of the application being submitted
that it 'is a very robust one and can and will meet any criticism
thrown at it'.
![How the wind farm would look next to the railway line [Photomontage: Ecotricity]](wind-farm-photo-2-sml.jpg) "Since
then, Ecotricity has had to submit additional details about access,
and now has been forced to move the proposed location further
away from the railway lines as the original location of the turbines
contravened Government policies and presented a serious safety
risk to the West Coast main line."
"We
also recall that Ecotricity had misquoted a report by the Royal
Institution of Chartered Surveyors on its website - which it amended
when we pointed this out - and has also been reprimanded by the
Advertising Standards Authority for claims it made about another
of its developments."
"This
leads us to worry how professional the developer actually is,
and whether there is anything else that Ecotricity has omitted,
forgotten, or needs to change in its application. Clearly, Ecotricity
has its own interpretation of what 'robust' means."
"We
are also puzzled at the need to move the potential location; surely
if these turbines are as robust a structure as claimed then there
can be no danger of collapse if they are located, as originally
proposed, closer to the railway lines? What about the danger to
public rights of way, houses, village facilities, and the local
school?"
"Surely
this revision to the application is a tacit admission of risk?
Either that, or is an act of expediency to remove an objection
from Network Rail. Again, this would not fill us full of confidence.
No doubt Sedgemoor’s planning department and planning committee
will be as perplexed and concerned as we are."
Ecotricity
was not available for comment on Sunday.
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