Chapmanslade residents reject turbine proposal again

At a meeting called by Chapmanslade Parish Council and attended by over 70 people last Thursday 15th May, local residents were vociferous in their objections to the proposal for a 285′ (87m) turbine on farmland in front of Cley Hill, Longleat Woods and their officially recognised areas of outstanding natural beauty. 

When discussions were opened to the floor, 15 people spoke against the proposal and only two supported it. Parish Council Chairman Philip Jefferson said that the council members wanted to hear from residents as the proposal was one of the most significant planning development propositions to occur in or around Chapmanslade parish for a number of years, and the effects of it could run on 25 years into the future.

The Parish Clerk reported that she had received 29 letters in advance of the meeting from parishioners who were unable to attend the meeting, and all of them had expressed their objection to the turbine proposal.

The Parish Council declined at this stage to take a vote to show its views but thanked everybody for their contributions and stated that they had been given much food for thought.

Chapmanslade resident Mary Medhurst who attended the meeting said, “All of the speakers spoke with great passion and knowledge on a multitude of reasons why this turbine should never be allowed to be built. What struck me most was the threat that once one of these massive machines goes up, others are only too likely to follow. It was revealed at the meeting that the same developers have bought two plots of land of the same circular diameter on Thoulstone Farm. Are they in actual fact planning two turbines? We should be told.”

Those wanting to see the end of onshore wind turbines in the UK will have been heartened last week by the results of a poll taken in nearby Norton St Philip. Of the 180 people who attended a developer’s drop in event exhibiting details of a 217′ (66m) wind turbine at Laverton, 165 people indicated they opposed it, three were in favour and 12 undecided. Norton St Philip is the spiritual home of The Wurzels who last week released their own Mendip Wind Turbine Song in support of the local action group, No2WindFarm, and against turbines being placed where people don’t want them.

Visit www.stopthoulstonefarmwind turbine.co.uk for the Thoulstone proposal and no2windfarm.co.uk for the Laverton proposal. Both of these websites provide links to The Wurzel’s Mendip Wind Turbine Song.

For more information, contact Mary Medhurst: tel 07742 150435 or Tim Page: tel 07836 216479.