Greg Harper

"From the Hill,"
A Lament for the Sussex Coastal View

Thanks to Greg for sending us this link to his beautiful but sad song.
He wrote to us
Just when the South Downs have been made a National Park to protect the landscape, this enterprise arrives to expand man's touch on into the unspoiled seascape.


See more:
http://www.gregharpermusic.com/news.html

The worst news for a long time.

Windfarm Vision 1, by Paul Bloomer

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-north-east-orkney-shetland-1760971.

One hundred and three giant turbines, in the middle of the Shetland Islands. It is vandalism on a giant scale.

Here is a reminder of what artist Paul Bloomer had to say (on our website) about this appalling proposal:

http://www.artistsagainstwindfarms.com/scotland/paul-bloomer.html

Louise Mensch

Louise Mensch is a Conservative MP
She wrote this impassioned piece in the Daliy Telegraph:


http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/energy/windpower/9173642/Wind-farms-We-are-baffled-that-a-prince-of-the-realm-would-ruin-our-land.html

She is one of the many Conservative MPs who have spoken out against wind farms: what is the matter with their leader?

Our list of MPs who have spoken out is on this page:

http://www.artistsagainstwindfarms.com/politicians/politiciansfightingwindfarms.html

It includes a link to those like Louise Mensch who signed the letter to David Cameron, plus the names of other MPS - from all parties - who have spoken out on this issue.

Another North Devon wind turbine

On a trip to Morte Point on Saturday what did we see but this - the largish wind turbine at Mullacott Cross.
More photos on our Facebook page.

Bats

This YouTube video is an important one to watch, not just because of what happens to the bats, but also because of the horror that is being done to some stunning landscapes in Oregon.
Much is made in the commentary of fact that wind turbines are "clean energy" - what about the environmental damage caused by mining for rare earths in China, used in wind turbines, for a start? That is not very clean.
Incidentally, you can hear the turbine noise, and see the shadow flicker, although they do not comment on that.

Batsworthy Cross Pre-Inquiry

I went to the Pre-Inquiry meeting today at Bishops Nympton Village Hall. It was a beautiful day, sunny but fresh, with little wind. I took the X7 bus from Barnstaple to South Molton and walked the rest of the way, maybe three or four miles, along tiny lanes, with bridges over streams, sheep and lambs grazing in fields beside the road and the roadside banks studded with primroses and daffodils, or wood anemones when the road skirted its way around some woods (as in this photograph.)

At the meeting last June, when North Devon District Council's Planning Committee unanimously turned down Npower's wind farm proposal, Bishop's Nympton Village Hall was full to bursting with local opponents of the proposal.

Last June, the only supporters that Npower could find were a few members of the North Devon Green party, none of whom live anywhere near Batsworthy Cross. For the Public Inquiry, one of the North Devon Green Party Members, Rosemary Brian, who lives in the Croyde/Georgeham area, some 25 miles away, has set up a Rule 6 Party called "Friends of Batsworthy Cross."

This hardly seems a friendly name to choose. A true friend listens, and does not impose. Yet again today, the people of the area around Batsworthy Cross filled the hall and made it abundantly clear how much they oppose the idea of having giant industrial turbines imposed upon them.

At the meeting, Rosemary Brian asked if the Public Inquiry could be held in Barnstaple, as Bishop's Nympton was difficult to travel to by public transport. I felt like standing up to say that I had come by bus myself part of the way, and enjoyed the ride, but to be fair, there are some steep hills between South Molton and Bishop's Nympton, and it would have been hard work with boxes of documents to carry as well.

Sensibly the Inspector decided that Bishop's Nympton Village Hall was to remain the venue.

TREA, The Rural Exmoor Alliance (TREA is CPRE Devon, the Exmoor Society, the Two Moors Campaign and several local parish councils) invited Npower to put up a blimp for the site visit. Npower refused this invitation.

The Public Inquiry will last four weeks, and begin on June 12th.

Fullabrook

Near Beara Cross, Tuesday. No turbines were turning when we went up there. They turn them off at times during the noise testing, apparently. Later they were turning, slowly, in the gentle breeze.
Read more about the noise testing that is taking place at the moment:

http://www.thisisdevon.co.uk/story-15433064-detail/story.html