Wind of change sparks protest

DAVID MAKIN . . . “relaxation of planning rules is disgusting.”

Action group’s anger at new turbine proposals

Proposals to relax planning rules to make it easier to erect wind turbines have been blasted by a Saddleworth campaigner.

Saddleworth Moor Action Group (SMAG) chairman David Makin fears changes will result in turbines creating eyesores in picturesque areas.

Housing minister John Healey has announced plans to allow wind turbines as high as 15 metres (50ft) on farmland and industrial estates without planning permission.

And applications for solar panels on stadiums, railway stations and offices will be fast-tracked.

Turbines will be approved across large areas of the countryside, providing they meet noise and impact restrictions. The new measures are designed to boost renewable energy.

The Infrastructure Plan-ning Commission (IPC) has already been set up as an independent body to make decisions on applications for nationally-significant infrastructure projects, including large windfarms.

SMAG saw off an application from energy giant E.ON to erect seven 350ft wind turbines above Denshaw and is on stand-by to oppose any fresh application.

While the proposals involve much smaller turbines, Mr Makin fears their installation could encourage further applications and ruin the landscape.

Mr Makin said: “SMAG is on amber alert and ready to renew the fight.

“When E.ON withdrew, that gave them the chance to come back whereas if they had been defeated at a public inquiry they could not have come back.

“The way the planning rules have been relaxed is, in my view, disgusting.

“The IPC is now up and running and, basically, they have the ability to steamroller anything through.

“It is undemocratic. Objections can be overruled and council planning departments will find it very difficult to do anything about it.

“This seeps down to smaller schemes. It gives carte blanche to any person to stick one of these unsightly things up.

“A 50ft-thing stuck on a fixed point in Saddleworth will be visually intrusive. If we had a lot of these it would make the place look ridiculous.”

Mr Makin argues that wind turbines produce little power and are intermittent. He says they don’t save money, but do make a profit for developers.

A farmer on Burnedge Lane has already gained planning permission to erect a wind turbine at the highest point in Saddleworth and Mr Makin added: “It will set a precedent.

“There are other people with plans in the pipeline, all looking over Saddle-worth, Dovestones and the national park.

“People won’t get any benefits and the negative effect on the landscape could be immense.”

Paul Milner, senior planning officer for the Campaign to Protect Rural England, is concerned that the proposals do not offer enough protection for important landscapes and says it is vital that local authorities are involved in decisions.

National Alliance of Wind Farm Action Groups spokesman Michael Windridge said wind turbines are not capable of providing a secure and efficient source of renewable energy.

But he added: “People who want to green-proof their homes should get a helping hand.

“Our planning rules need to catch up with changing technologies and allow people to take the small measures that make big differences.”