manifesto

Baumber Windfarm Action Group (BWAG) Believe that investing in commercial wind power according to the government's policy to reduce CO2 emissions is misguided, ineffective and neither environmentally nor socially benign.

We accept that the countryside and the landscape have always changed and will continue to do so but we are concerned about the legitimacy, type, extent and pace of this form of change.

Good planning is about balance. The irreparable ecological damage, loss of amenity and distressed divisions within communities caused by industrial scale wind farms far outweigh any benefit their insignificant and unreliable contribution to our energy needs may bring, this is combined with their correspondingly small and uncertain pollution savings. The colossal damage to the countryside and huge financial burden cannot possibly be justified. it is the impact of these installations and inevitable side-effects that are opposed - not "local" wind energy generation. wind power can be a particularly useful method of electricity generation for households, farms, estates and small communities sited away from the grid.

Installations may be acceptable if they:
-do not distract the natural scale and character of local and neighbouring environments
-do not endanger people living nearby, or those visiting the adjacent countryside, either of foot or horseback
-do not blight the lives of people living nearby with noise, flicker, and moving shadows
-do not create a division among the local people
-do not disadvantage the local economy and tourist industry
-do not lead to people becoming economically disadvantaged through reduced property values

Unfortunately big is beautiful in the case of windfarms schemes and the small-scale sustainable schemes lose out to the financial attractiveness of commercial windfarms. Government and local policy is in principle supportive of renewable energy but always provided that it does not create undue adverse impact on the countryside.

The countryside act of 1968 states:-
"In the exercise of their functions relating to the land under any enactment every minister, government department and public body shall have regard to the desirability of conserving the natural beauty and amenity of the countryside." This act of parliament carries great statutory weight and must remain the guiding principle in matters affecting the countryside.

Policy on renewable electricity generation must not be decided by developers anxious to make money from government or European commission subsidies and grants.

The countryside is far too precious to be the football of political ideologies.