Save Our Silton
WIND TURBINE FACTS
There is currently a proposal by Ecotricity to build approximately 4 giant industrial size wind turbines at Silton near Gillingham.
Each turbine will be 120m (394ft) high,This is HUGE-approximately one and a half times the Statue of Liberty and only 5m shorter than the largest pyramid in Egypt! The blades will stand higher than the surrounding hills – from Shaftesbury you will look up at them.
The nearest houses will be less than 700m away. In France turbines are not recommended within 1.5km of houses for reasons of noise and nuisance. Residents in Holland living up to a mile away have complained of noise, especially at night causing sleep deprivation.
This development will do little for local employment. The turbines will be imported from Germany and operated by remote control. Plus, the three families nearest this development rely on holiday lets and tourist income so employment may fall!
Onshore wind turbines generate (in England, on average) only 27% of their maximum output and always need conventional power stations to cover for periods when the wind isn’t blowing. Regardless of how many turbines you build the nuclear issues remain. Not one conventional power station in the world has been able to close because a wind farm has been built.
Saving CO2 using wind power is very expensive compared to the alternatives. The cost is around £480 per tonne of carbon compared to EU Emissions Trading values of £12-£70 per tonne.
So why is this wind farm being built? 60% of the income of a wind farm is from indirect subsidy taken from all our electricity bills. The developer behind the Silton turbines will receive about £1 million annually just from subsidy and not including electricity sales!
“SOS believes that there are better renewable technologies more suited to Dorset – for example Biomass, Biogas, Tidal, Ground Source or Solar Heating – and that we want our money spent on these and Energy Saving initiatives that can make a REAL difference, rather than token schemes driven by subsidies.” Chris Langham, Chairman SOS
If you are as shocked by these facts as we were please join our group: a membership form can be found on the 'contact' page.
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Who would be the Winners and from the proposed Wind Farm Development at Silton?
The Winners:
Developer, Mr Dale Vince who owns 100% of Ecotricity Group Ltd, which in its latest had a turnover of £38,343,068, on which it made an operating profit of £3,245,107. Mr Vince lives in Gloucestershire, over 3km from a single turbine, which is one quarter the size of the proposed Silton Turbines.
Landowners, the Harris family, who it is estimated will receive an income of at least £1m over the lifetime of the turbines operating on their land. In addition, they receive grants for preserving the countryside. According to www.farmsubsidy.org, the Harris family received grants of £82,920 in 2008 (the last year for which figures are available).
The Government, who will take credit for additional renewable electricity capacity irrespective of whether it saves CO2 or is good for the environment.
The Losers:
The environment, as the contribution of wind turbines to reducing CO2 emissions is at best debatable while their negative impact on our countryside is indisputable, massive and permanent. The turbines have a life of around 25 years, but the 1000 tonnes of concrete needed for each base will remain permanently.
Owners of small businesses, who rely on tourism and whose livelihoods will be jeopardised if these turbines are built.
Local residents, who will be living literally in the shadow and with the noise and flicker of these giant turbines.
Hundreds of homeowners, who may suffer a significant drop in the value of their houses and may have difficulty selling.
Millions of people who love our English countryside and do not want to see it defaced, for no good reason.
Local and migratory wildlife, including bats, badgers and owls.
All UK Households, who end up paying higher electricity bills because of the subsidies paid to wind farm operators. The Silton wind farm alone is forecast to receive £1million annually in subsidies - more than the value of the electricity it will produce.
We could ALL be winners if the Government were to promote more effective ways of reducing CO2 emissions.
www.saveoursilton.org