October 27, 2005
Edithmead wind farm proposal slammed by Burnham council leader

Controversial plans to build a huge new wind farm on the outskirts of Burnham-On-Sea have been slammed by the leader of Burnham and Highbridge town council.

The proposal involves the construction of five 65 metre turbines on land at Edithmead to produce enough electricity for 8,000 homes.

Cllr Peter Clayton, who is also Chairman of the town council's planning applications committee, showed Burnham-On-Sea.com a map illustrating the proposed location of the turbines this week.

"The turbines are numbered 1 to 5 in the triangles and not the squares," he said. "The squares are photomontage locations."

"I am astonished this site has been considered, it stretches from behind the BASC Ground land to the little church on Edithmead lane. It will obscure all the views from Burnham to Brent Knoll and it is all green belt land."

"Brent Knoll is a valued landmark in the area and to destroy the landscape like this would be catastrophic."

"The impact on the area will be very significant and I intend to fight these proposals all the way. There have also been concerns raised in West Somerset regarding the safety of these structures, so to consider them so close to residential areas is unthinkable."

"I am not totally anti-wind turbines, but I think far more thought has to go in to the siting of these things."

"These generators only provide small amounts of electricity compared to the huge impact on the environment."

"I live and work in Burnham for the very reason that we are a minute away from green and pleasant land. I am not a dinosaur, but this is one change I will fight strongly against."

"There will be a public exhibition on Tuesday 15th November between 10.30am and 8pm at the Burnham Scout Hall and I would urge as many people to come along and view the plans for themselves."

News of the proposals was first reported by Burnham-On-Sea.com earlier this week. The huge new wind farm is being proposed by Gloucestershire-based green energy firm Ecotricity and is scheduled to go before Sedgemoor District Council's planning committee in November.

Town councillor Neville Jones described the proposed farm as a scar on the landscape earlier in the week.

If it were to be approved, Ecotricity says the wind farm would produce 10 mega watts of total capacity and would contribute 40 per cent of Somerset's renewable energy target for 2010. It is claimed that it would also save more than 23,000 tonnes of carbon emissions every year.

This is the third wind farm proposed for the Burnham area, with six turbines at St Martin's Hill near Brean, and up to 12 turbines at Hinkley Point already on the cards - although the latter was turned down by district planners on Wednesday October 26th.

An open day is to take place at Burnham's Scout HQ on Tuesday November 15th between 10.30am and 8pm, when the public is invited to learn more.

RELATED LINKS:

Huge new wind farm proposed for Edithmead

Ecotricity Web site