Protesters to speak out against Rugby wind farm

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Protesters are gathering in Rugby tonight to speak out against wind farms planned for Warwickshire.



The campaigners think wind turbines will blight the landscape and claim they are so inefficient that they are not financially viable without government subsidies.

Under the banner Against Subsidised Windfarms Around Rugby (ASWAR), residents are gathering on the steps of Rugby Town Hall at 7pm.

Lorne Smith, Churchover resident and chairman of ASWAR, said: “We’ve had 20 years of believing that this is going to save the world – it’s not. There is nothing about windfarms that will save the world.

“Turbines are inefficient and whatever level you argue it at it’s a bad policy to pursue. It’s going to increase not just the electricity prices for the ordinary household but business and industry electricity prices too.”

ASWAR claims Rugby Borough Council has paid consultants to survey the local landscape and determine which areas might be suitable for wind turbines.

At tonight’s meeting, the consultants are expected to report back their findings.

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Warwickshire wind farm protestors fight second bid



Protestors who fought off plans for a wind farm between Rugby and Lutterworth are campaigning against new proposals for the same site.

Renewable energy company RES wants to build four turbines near Churchover and Cotesbach - two years after plans by one of its rivals were rejected.

Campaigners said details of the wind farm were "devastating".

RES said it had listened to local concerns about the previous application before designing its plan.

Two years ago, plans to put nine turbines on the site were submitted by rival company SSE but rejected by Rugby Borough Council.

Lorne Smith, from Against Subsidised Wind Farms Around Rugby (Aswar), said: "Not satisfied with a total rejection by over 90% of locals of an earlier proposal, another company wants to ruin one of Warwickshire's heritage beauty spots of the upper River Swift."

The 2011 application for nine wind turbines near the A5 north of Churchover was rejected by Rugby Borough Council on the grounds it would damage the surrounding environment.

The new proposal is to create Swift Wind Farm, with four turbines, in the same area.

Ms Smith described the new proposals as "devastating".

She added: "They want to ruin a conservation village with a listed church that has dominated the meandering Swift Valley, a Warwickshire heritage beauty spot, for over 1,000 years, with industrial turbines five times the height of the church spire."

Government guidelines recommend councils give residents more say on wind farm applications.

Dan Patterson, from RES, said the previous objections made it clear "local people were concerned".

He said: "RES has taken the opportunity to reassess the design and respond to local concerns by reducing the number of turbines and siting them further from housing."

The company said the wind farm could generate enough energy for 6,400 homes.

A formal planning application is expected to be submitted later this year.