Farmer in Hot Water Over Wind Turbine Plans

An Oxfordshire farmer has caused countryside lobbyists to rise up in anger over his plans for a new wind turbine. John Laming already lives in a highly energy-efficient eco-house, with ground source heat pumps powering his underfloor heating and rain harvesters, but he also wants the 20-foot high 15kw wind turbine to provide power for heat units on his game farm near Chinnor, since the alternative is expensive and CO2-generating propane gas.

Objections have been lodged by the local branch of the Campaign for the Protection of Rural England, warning of noise, damage to the visual landscape and the turbine being the thin end of the wedge for more structures in the future. This is despite a land and visual impact assessment, which found that the wind turbine could be built without severe ill-effects on the landscape.

A similar noise assessment found that its sound would have a negligible impact on the surrounding noise sensitive properties. But the lobbying group rejected this, insisting: “Our policy on wind turbines is that while we welcome renewable energy systems, it must not be at the expense of the countryside or its residents, and any wind turbine should be located appropriately.”