Published: January 12, 2012
Burnham wind farm campaigners 'not fooled by developer's PR stunt'

A campaign group fighting proposals for a new wind farm near Burnham-On-Sea has this week labeled the developer's announcement that it is downsizing the scheme as a 'publicity stunt'.

Burnham-On-Sea.com first reported on Tuesday that Broadview Energy has reduced the size of its wind farm at Rooksbridge from six 140m-tall wind turbines to four 130m-tall turbines.

Nick Woolmington, from the NoPilrow Committee, told Burnham-On-Sea.com: "This will make no difference to our opposition to the whole idea of any wind farm on green belt land in the unique Somerset Levels."

He added: "Local people have never been consulted on size or number of turbines that Broadview intend to build. This current proposal is obviously dictated to them by the fundamentals of the site itself but is being presented as a blatant PR exercise to try and convince some people of their willingness to listen to local voices."

"As such, it is nothing more than the usual ploy of asking above worth and settling for less and pretending that it is part of a consultation process thereby hoping to placate opposition. Let me repeat it has never been part of any 'consultation' process and fools no-one."

"At 130m high each turbine will still the same height as the Knoll taking ground level height of the site into account and will still be a massive and monstrous visual intrusion into the surrounding area."

"Bearing in mind some of the horrifying pictures of disintegrating turbines in recent gales one does have to ask the very serious question as to whether a wind farm adjacent to the very busy M5 motorway should be given any consideration at all. I have no doubt it should not."

He added: "The other thing that is very disturbing is that Broadview chose to make a press announcement to disclose a plan that will have such an enormous impact upon the lives of people living in the area rather than going to the community or their representatives in the first place."

"This clearly shows the blatant and arrogant attitude of these developers and indicates more than anything that all their 'consultation' process is nothing more than a box ticking exercise to satisfy rules laid down by Whitehall."