Residents Against Windfarm member calls for Cheshire West and Chester to oppose Peel Energy’s wind farm plans at council meeting

Jul 29 2010 by Paul Mannion, Chester Chronicle

CAMPAIGNERS have urged Cheshire West and Chester council to oppose plans for a giant wind farm on Frodsham marshes.

The call came from Prof John Dearden at a meeting of the full council in Winsford last week.

Prof Dearden, representing campaigners Residents Against the Wind Farm (RAW) told the meeting there would be 20 turbines, each 125m in height, standing “almost as high as Frodsham Hill” under the Peel Wind Farms application.

Seven would be located close to Frodsham and 13 close to Helsby, he added.

“No other large wind farm so close to centres of population exists anywhere in the UK,” argued Prof Dearden.

In a detailed 15-point objection, he insisted the development would be “totally within the green belt” and added: “No other wind farm entirely within the green belt has ever been given planning permission.”

The turbines would be “severely detrimental” to sites of scientific and biological importance, one of international status.

The character of the landscape, also a major issue, would be affected and residents would suffer serious loss of amenity.

“England’s second largest onshore wind farm would be positioned within two kilometres of 6,000 houses,” said Prof Dearden.

He believed this would be “an unprecedented number of houses in very close proximity to turbines”.

A number of nearby heritage assets would be affected and 16,000 homes would have their television reception affected.

The canal deposit grounds and other areas of the marshes contained “high levels of dioxins, mercury and other toxic substances which would be disturbed and spread around during construction.”

Pointing out the marshes are surrounded by heavy industry, he concluded: “We have already suffered enough without further industrial blight.

“The cumulative effect of these 15 issues would be catastrophic and we urge the council to oppose the application.

“We believe it is not justified.”