The Ramblers’ Association (RA ) has warmly welcomed the announcement that plans to build the biggest windfarm in England have been rejected. An application was made for the giant wind farm on the Whinash ridge in some of Cumbria’s finest hills.
Minister Malcolm Wicks made the announcement following a six week-long public inquiry into Chalmerston Wind Power Ltd’s plans to erect 27 wind turbines, each up to 400ft high, on a ridge close to the A6 and M6.
The RA was part of a coalition of organisations opposing the proposal at the public inquiry last year.
Jacquetta Fewster, Director of Campaigns at the RA said: “We are delighted by this decision from the Secretary of State. It demonstrates why industrial scale wind farm developments should be banned from our world-famous British landscape”.
She added: “Wind turbines are needed but they should be small scale or located well off shore. More support is needed for newer technologies, such as wave power, and for energy conservation. We hope this will be the conclusion of the current Government Energy Review.”
Whinash was identified by Country Life magazine as one of the ten most beautiful British landscapes under threat from wind farm development.
