| Windfarm Facts | The first wind farm was set up in November 1991. In March 2004 there were 1,043 wind turbines in operation at 84 sites around the UK. They provided 649.4 MW or 0.3-0.4% of the UK's electricity supply. There are also two offshore wind farms at Blyth Offshore and North Hoyle. Wind turbines generally have 3 blades which rotate at 10-30 revolutions per minute. The blades face into the wind, the wind forces them to go round, which then spins a shaft inside the turbine, which is connected to a generator which produces the electricity. The wind industry is expected to be generating 7% of the nation's electricity needs by 2010. This means another 3,500 turbines are required - 2,000 onshore and 1,500 offshore. |
Thursday 3 March 2006 Update Plans to create England's largest wind farm in Cumbria have been rejected by the government The £55m development would have seen 27 turbines, each 377ft tall, erected at Whinash, near Kendal. A six-week public inquiry last year heard from campaigners who said the project would destroy the landscape of the Lake District. Energy Minister Malcolm Wicks said he agreed with the inquiry inspector that the plan should be thrown out. Environmental groups such as Greenpeace backed the clean energy plans, but campaigners were worried about the visual impact on the countryside. The latest news can be found by using the link to BBC News online towards the top right of this page. The background Cumbria already has 11 windfarms but Whinash would be the biggest by far.
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Local people and organisations have objected in huge numbers to the proposal, but support for the development is just as strong. Chalmerston Wind Power wants to put up 27 turbines, each the best part of four hundred feet, stretching several miles across the skyline, from Shap summit to Tebay Gorge. The development would provide enough electricity for 110,000 homes and it would save 175,000 tons of carbon dioxide a year. | "It will open the floodgates for development, and change the face of Cumbria, for very questionable benefits" | | Kyle Blue from the group No Whinash Windfarm |
The debate's already caused furious clashes between supporters and protesters. Objectors include Cumbria Tourist Board, all the local councils and several organisations representing local people - groups like the No Whinash Windfarm committee and the Friends of Bretherdale. Local heroes like Lord Bragg and Sir Chris Bonnington have also noted their disapproval. They say the turbines will bring a totally alien feature into the landscape and dominate the skyline, particularly for people travelling along the M6. The argument is that this kind of 'industrialisation' of the landscape will damage tourism. The county's Tory MP David MacLean, and previously, Tim Collins, have stated that the development would turn away nearly four-million visitors and cost more than 6,000 jobs.
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But it's not just about the aesthetics. After all if the wind don't blow, the blades don't turn, so you always need a back-up, like nuclear or coal. Protesters like Kyle Blue from Orton pull no punches about the effect the development would have on the county "it would be devastating for Cumbria. It will open the floodgates for development throughout the county, and change the face of Cumbria for very questionable benefits". Supporters of the plans, such as Friends of the Earth, say the benefits are huge. Wind power produces electricity in an environmentally friendly way - the turbines don't produce chemical or radioactive emissions. Sheep can still graze on the land, and when they need to be taken down there's no residue left behind. As for the 'alien' look, supporters say the turbines are not only elegant, but beautiful, and a symbol of mankind turning to more environmentally friendly forms of energy. It's going to be a fierce debate - in the red corner conservationists arguing that windfarms are essential if we are to replace fossil fuels, in the blue corner, those who want the wild beauty of the Cumbrian fells to remain as it has for thousands of years. This inquiry has more far reaching consequences than that. There are currently strict government guidelines on where you can build windfarms. If the windfarm gets the go-ahead it'll be closer to a national park than any windfarm in British history. That could mean other companies getting permission to put other windfarms equally close - say across the other side of Caldbeck, or down the west coast. The government say they are committed to renewable energy. They've even put together a new statement of policy designed to make it easier to build windfarms. This inquiry will be the testbed to decide just what that means. | 
