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MP TO USE 10-MINUTE RULE TO INTRODUCE BUFFER ZONE BETWEEN WIND FARMS AND HOUSES
A Bill is to be presented to Parliament on Tuesday, November 3rd that seeks to control the distance between wind farms and the nearest house. The Bill will be introduced by Conservative MP Peter Luff using the Ten Minute Rule procedure. Peter Luff is the MP for Mid Worcestershire and since 2005 he has been the Chairman of the influential House of Commons Select Committee on Business, Innovation and Skills and its predecessors (the Trade & Industry and subsequently Business & Enterprise Committees).
The Bill will propose legislation to control the distance between wind farms and the nearest house by insisting that there should be a minimum distance of at least 2 km. Explaining his decision to introduce the Bill, Peter Luff says:
“It is my limited intention to raise the aesthetic and environmental concerns associated with large wind turbines when they are located too close to homes. I happen to be a keen exponent of alternative and renewable energy sources, but feel strongly that onshore wind farms are only appropriate where their visual and environmental impact on open countryside is acceptable. Government policy on this issue is vague, giving little protection to local communities who have legitimate objections to the building of these turbines in their area. The companies appear to comply with a voluntary 500m “buffer zone” but this has no legal force.
“I had originally suggested a blanket one kilometre buffer zones, but after talking to local residents and my colleagues in the Commons, I will propose that smaller turbines should be at least half a mile from habitation, medium sized ones a mile, and the largest turbines one and a half miles. I hope that imposing these limits would lead to those applications coming forward being inherently less objectionable and therefore attracting less local opposition. It is a limited measure that makes no judgement about the merits of onshore wind, or on the bigger issues of climate change and targets for green energy. You can take whatever view you like on these issues and still see merit in my bill! It’s just intended to reduce the risks of these turbines being built unreasonably close to homes – unless, of course, the affected homes wanted them - perhaps because it is on their land and they will benefit financially.”
It has been suggested that people and organisations that object to wind turbines, wind farms or the close proximity of both to houses should write to their local MP to ensure support for the measure being introduced on November 3rd.
The MPs for Cornwall are:
Falmouth and Camborne – Julia Goldsworthy (Lib Dem)
North Cornwall – Dan Rogerson (Lib Dem)
St Ives – Andrew George (Lib Dem)
South East Cornwall – Colin Breed (Lib Dem)
Truro and St Austell – Matthew Taylor (Lib Dem)
The address to write to is:
House of Commons, London. SW1A 0AA
If you feel strongly about the measure that is to be introduced, then please write to your MP today. Please note, though, that the MP’s statement and intended measure mixes kilometres with miles, and that there is no definition of a “wind farm”.
Ted Venn
25th October 2009
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