nTHERE is little doubt that we need alternative, renewable energy to help replace our dependence on oil and gas. Wind farms pay for themselves within three months of installation in terms of the energy produced. Most people would prefer to live near a wind farm than a nuclear energy plant. However beautiful the countryside, how long would most of us would last if our energy supplies ran out?
Living close to the proposed development of a wind farm at Ince, I was initially supportive. The idea that the noise from the wind farms could be a nuisance when compared to the constant background din of the M56 was absurd. However, when a leaflet arrived from Residents against the Wind Farm explaining that the turbines proposed were less than 50 feet shorter than Helsby and Frodsham Hills, I did begin to think that local people were right to object.
It is certainly not a case of nimbyism but each proposal needs to be considered in context. I would still be happy to see a wind farm along the estuary but not one of such gigantic proportions. If we want cheaper, renewable and safe energy then we must all be prepared to compromise.
