Naseby wind farm battle is taken to the House of Lords
LORD Naseby is to tackle the Government about plans to build a wind farm next to the historic Battle of Naseby site in Northamptonshire.
A planning inspector last month overturned Daventry District Council’s decision to block energy firm EON’s plans to build six turbines near the Naseby battlefield.
The decision was labelled “disgraceful” by the area’s MP, Chris Heaton-Harris, and strongly criticised by historians, who said the move would damage views of the battlefield for generations.
To highlight opposition to the plans, Lord Naseby was due to raise the issue in the House of Lords this afternoon, when he was expected to ask whether the Government would intervene in the issue. The Lord’s involvement has been welcomed by historians who have been campaigning for years to boost Naseby’s reputation on the international stage.
Martin Marix Evans, who has written books on Naseby and is trustee of the Battlefields Trust, said: “I hope the Government’s ministers will realise how important this is when it’s brought up in the House of Lords.
“It’s great that Lord Naseby has decided to take the issue up. He’s doing an immense amount of work for the battlefield at the moment and is really helping us with our project to build a visitor centre close to the battle site.
“Hopefully the people in power will take notice of Naseby now it is being mentioned on such a big stage.”
The planning inspector allowed the wind farm development to go ahead despite admitting the turbines would harm the battlefield.
He argued the damage would be minimised because the turbines would be taken down in 25 years’ time.
EON have also said they firmly believed the wind farm ‘represents the right technology , in the right location to ensure energy security and combat climate change’.
Hundreds of soldiers died in the battle between Parliament’s New Model Army and King Charles I’s Royalist forces at Naseby on June 14, 1645.
The key battle of the civil war is recognised as one of the most important ever to be fought on British soil.
It led to the creation of the modern system of Parliamentary democracy.
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Saturday 26 May 2012
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Comments
There are 11 comments to this article
Page 1 of 1
Common sense
Wednesday, January 18, 2012 at 01:15 PMHow can anyone take a campaigner called Rambo seriously? Its the age old story--people like the convenience of electricity but not the apparatus required to generate it--if it spoils their view. I like the modern day windmill. Its a shame they only generate electricity and couldn't be put to multiple uses.
Bris
Wednesday, January 18, 2012 at 02:12 AMSome of the posts here are a sad commentary on an education system that produces barely literate citizens who see our heritage and landscape as "just a lot of fields".
lady muck
Tuesday, January 17, 2012 at 08:11 PMThis is actually two issues...whether it should be built and whether Naseby is appropriate. Our govt is signed up to renewable energy and simply repeating arguments about the failings of windpower...essentially, that the generated power cannot be stored, makes no difference...the die is cast. As for the site...the battle was fought in an open field and there is no visible evidence of a battle ever having been fought there. It just seems that the convenient fact that there was once a battle at Naseby is being put forward as a reason why this particular 'back yard' should be subject to some special exemption (especially as LORD Naseby has chucked his hat into the ring).
Bris
Tuesday, January 17, 2012 at 04:42 PMMack80. The only problem with your argument is that however many wind turbines we build we still need the same amount of thermal power generating capacity. Wind is a parallel generating system. National Grid says that even if we develop ALL the planned wind build we still need 8-10 new nuclear and some 36GW of new gas-fuelled capacity. See National Grid's ' Seven Year Statement, 2010' if you want to learn a little about how the generating system actually works rather than believing wind industry propaganda.
mack80
Tuesday, January 17, 2012 at 01:42 PMwhy not build a nuclear power station and please all the anti wind farm people why should Suffolk have to have them to please these people that want electric but not in my back garden we keep letting thousands into our over populated island so more land is being gobbled up for building my mind boggles of where these people are going to be employed one has only got to walk in Northampton town centre and hardly anyone is speaking our language
bighead
Tuesday, January 17, 2012 at 11:18 AMCome on its just a lot of fields,why not cut the electic supply to Naseby.
willfromthornby
Tuesday, January 17, 2012 at 10:15 AMTheCountbuffoon - Everyone wants them? I think not. Have you visited the area recently? Because I can assure you that you couldn't be more wrong. Actually, the democratic process decided it didn't want them either but that decision was then overturned by an unelected person, without taking into account the views of the local majority and the previous consultation and planning process. Essentially the entire consultation was a waste of time so it is good to see the fight continues. Local people have the right to voice their opinions on what can affect their daily lives. The joke is on daft, uneducated and opinionated armchair pundits like you - because you clearly don't have a clue.
norfolkboy14
Tuesday, January 17, 2012 at 08:58 AMWe need to get the Government onside, as well as local councils and others, if we are going to stop these wind turbines being built. Are you disillusioned by rising electricity prices, over dependence on the "green" dream [especially uneconomical and inefficient wind farms] and the destruction of our countryside then please register your objection to the Government on http:epetitions.direct.gov.ukpetitions22958 or by googling "petition 22958" and following the link. Please pass this message on to Councillors, members of your community and anyone else you know to persuade them to sign up too.
willi eckaslyke
Tuesday, January 17, 2012 at 08:46 AMOne has to quietly wonder which would look worse: wind turbines or a 'visitor centre'...just leave the place as it is for God sake.
lady muck
Tuesday, January 17, 2012 at 08:27 AMLord Naseby...that would be ex MP Michael Morris, now sitting with the other party hacks and hereditary peers in the £300pd taxpayer-subsidised club that is the house of Lords.
TheCount
Tuesday, January 17, 2012 at 08:23 AMEveryone wants them apart from the NIMBYs so the cost the country a fortune fighting it, they then go to an unelected body of toffs to try and get their own way, What a shameful bunch,
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