Geoff Walsh

"Do we resist or agree to be sacrificed for dogma?".

When I started to hear about the scale and the potential impact of the Bank's proposal to install industrial wind turbines on Went Edge, like many I was startled. I know that there is a huge concern expressed about global warming and our future energy needs and all the political parties have emerging views about the need to come up with viable alternative sources.

The more that I learned however, the more concerned I became that the people on the eastern side of the district were to be sacrificed for a tick in a government box and a bit of global posturing.

When you look at the implications of the Bank's proposal there a number of major reasons that under normal circumstances would rule out such a development. However over recent years our Labour Government has set out to erode the planning laws and guidance so that "things get done".

In fact as I understand it Ministers only last week signed an order at council (Queens Council/Ministerial edict) which allows the latest big idea of Eco towns or Growth Points (urban extensions as WMDC describe them) to utilise green belt so that the governments big new project of 3,000,000 new houses by 2020 gets delivered.

What is the linkage? Whether it is multiple industrial wind turbines over 425 feet high or 20,000 new houses they could arrive on a piece of green belt near you.

Peter Box, Leader of the council has come out against Darringfield but has agreed to a Government scheme of Growth Points with a target building up to 1900 new houses a year up until 2020, which will deliver more houses than Darringfield again predominantly in the Five Towns area and in reality this will take green belt or precious open spaces, will we have the infrastructure improvements? Well I am really not sure.