Grange Moor villagers join forces to battle wind turbines plan

Jul 8 2010 Huddersfield Daily Examiner

Villagers join forces to battle wind farm plan

DEFIANT Grange Moor residents have joined forces to fight plans to build a wind farm close to their homes.

More than 120 locals packed into their small village hall to voice their anger over plans to construct the Brown Hill Wind Energy Development in the rural village.

If approved, the development by Mitie Asset Management Ltd would include two 155ft wind turbines.

Residents are now forming a campaign group to battle to get the proposal thrown out.

And Dewsbury MP Simon Reevell plans to ask the government to block wind turbines from being built next to homes by introducing the same minimum distance as other European countries.

The meeting, which was also attended by ward councillors, was organised after locals were informed that a planning application for the development on land at Grange Ash Farm had been submitted to Kirklees Council.

Clr Jim Dodds, who was involved with the ferocious campaign to block two wind turbines at Pool Hill in Denby Dale four years ago,attended.

The situation is also similar to that being faced by villagers in Birdsedge, who are currently fighting plans by Pure Renewable Energy to build four 410ft tall turbines.

Clr Dodds said he would support residents in their bid to get the latest application for a wind farm in a rural village opposed.

He said: “It’s a very contentious issue. Not everybody opposes the idea of renewable energy, but they do object to the area where this development is planned.

“Residents are really concerned about the size of the turbines and the closeness to their houses.

“The closeness to public rights of way is an issue as the potential for shadow flicker and concerns that the land will be able to hold objects that are going to be moved as it is a former mining area.

“There are also noise issues and concerns over what would happen if one of the turbines breaks down and one of the blades breaks off, which has happened in the past.