MP backs plans for residents to have greater control over wind farm plans

Beverley and Holderness MP, Graham Stuart, has thrown his weight behind plans to give residents facing wind turbines being built on their doorstep more say.

He has also called for a debate in Parliament after the Government ignored the wishes of both residents and the East Riding Council by allowing wind farms at Routh and Withernwick, near Hornsea, to go ahead on appeal.

Graham said: “What we have seen recently appears to be an abandonment of the normal democratic planning process, with the Government routinely riding roughshod over local opinion and democratically elected councillors. This is quite wrong and I am seeking a parliamentary debate to confront Ministers and demand change.”

In July this year, the Conservative Party will be publishing a Planning Green Paper which will call for earlier consultation between wind farm developers and local people as well as strengthening local authorities’ control of applications.

Graham said he wanted Government to encourage the development of cleaner energy sources so long as they were affordable and were sited in acceptable locations with the agreement of local people.

He said: “I do not, however, believe that Holderness should become a dumping ground for wind farms simply because of its topography and because this Government sees them as the quickest and cheapest way to meet its European renewable energy quotas.

“If the Government wants to ignore all local opinion and override every decision of democratically elected councillors then it should say so. Why should campaigners and councillors waste their time at meetings if what they think is never taken into account?

“I welcome the proposal for the Humber Gateway wind farm put forward by E.ON. It will be eight kilometres off the coast, be built on a large scale and produce enough electricity for 195,000 homes. We are more than doing our bit in this area and don’t wish to be bullied by Government into destroying our local environment with ever more onshore wind farms.”

Graham said: “Labour’s record on developing renewable energy has been woeful. Only Luxemburg and Malta have lower percentages of their energy mix from clean sources. They have failed to invest in tide and wave energy which we have in abundance and are now panicking and trying to force inefficient and expensive wind farms on communities that don’t want them. We need long term thinking which works with local people not against them. The sooner we have a General Election the better for Holderness and the country.”