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Villagers prepare to fight wind farm plans

Villagers on the outskirts of Darlington have formed an action group to fight a proposed wind farm near their homes. At a meeting in Bishopton village hall on Wednesday they pledged to fight the plans “tooth and nail” to protect the countryside and the wildlife.

Early site tests are being carried out on the scheme to build eleven 100-meter high turbines on farmland outside Bishopton, West Newbiggin, Gilly Flatts and Little Stainton.

Although the Bishopton group is not opposed to wind farms in principle, they say the scheme will ruin some of the most beautiful panoramic views in the region.

Paul Frost, former BBC and Tyne Tees TV presenter said: “One of the reasons I bought my house in the High Street was for the view. It really is spectacular. The last thing I want is a huge windfarm out there. These things are five times the height of the Angel of the North. “One of them is within spitting distance of an ancient monument, the Mott and Bailey Castle at the end of the village. It’s an important historical site which could be overshadowed by a one hundred foot turbine. Charming.”

The meeting heard fears that the blades - which travel at 200 mph - could wipe out flocks of geese and a rare colony of bats living near Gilly Flatts.

Said Bishopton Parish Council Chairman Peter Wood: “I hope the potential developers realise they have a fight on their hands. We are prepared to hire our own consultants and if necessary take this all the way to a public inquiry. “This is definitely not a case of Not In My Back Yard. The proposed location of the turbines is completely inappropriate. We should be protecting our countryside not destroying it.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .