A new action group joins the fight against a bleak and barren future for the fens
 
Swinburne: 'Only the wind here hovers and revels, in a round where life seems barren as death!!'
 
Is this the future for our fens, where there are only windfarms, and dead or dying communities? As yet another application is expected in the Spring for a massive 17 x 3MW giant turbine windfarm right next door to the historic spring-line villages of Billingborough and Horbling and very close to Sempringham, Pointon and Swaton, another action group has formed. Allied closely with other local opposition groups and most particularly its older sibling AGAST (Action Group Against Sempringham Turbines), currently fighting plans for 6 giant turbines from Scottish power only a couple of kilometres away, the newly-named group is mustering the forces of those communities most closely threatened by the E.On plans. The BHATs (Billingborough and Horbling Against TurbineS) name will remind people of the threat to wildlife and environment and the disruption to signals and communications caused by these developments. There's a light-hearted but respectful homage, too, to a well-loved village institution (the Billingborough Amateur Theatrical Society) whose marvellous comedies entertained local residents for many years and helped to foster a community spirit.  But the windfarm is no laughing matter: this sense of community that is also at threat. People are only just coming to realise the irreparable damage a windfarm of this vast size - and close to others at Bicker, and planned at Heckington, Sempringham, Dunsby and elsewhere - will have on local business, livelihood, quality of life, transport, health and well being issues, when sited too close to people's homes, and on the villages themselves. 'Our particular part of the fenland has remained unspoilt for centuries, and if we don't do something to protest now, these communities will be lost forever! Thousands of tons of concrete poured into the landscape will do lasting and untold damage - and cost far more in CO2 emissions than these government-subsidised monsters will ever offset in their working life.'
 
Thousands of tons of CO2 producing concrete poured into the landscape is unlikely to ever be removed. (For a windfarm this size there are likely to be 136 concrete piles driven deep into the fields.) These oversized, industrial turbines, built to obtain Renewable Obligation Certificates are paid for from increases in everyone's electricity bills. Operating only when the wind allows, they are unlikely to make a net saving in CO2 in their working life. We are reminded of the quotes of David J White:...'Electric power is too vital a commodity to be used as a job-creation programme for the wind turbine industry', James Lovelock:...'Wind farms will devastate the countryside pointlessly' and most recently, Lord Reay:...'Wind farms also eat up capital that should be spent on more appropriate efforts to resolve our looming energy crisis'.
 
BHATs has the suport of local parish councils, and a growing network of members actively involved in opposing these developments. At E.On's open day no-one from the organisation would commit to reveal the exact details of the turbine models for which they are seeking planning permission, but there is no doubt that a windfarm with this number of turbines will tower over these historical communities, and vast power lines will cut across village access links.  At a meeting held in October to gauge response, the move to oppose was unanimous, and 80% of the returns from a Parish Council poll of households also voted to oppose the application. Anyone wanting to support BHATs should contact them via their  website www.bhats.co.uk or via a contact email address: Support@bhats.co.uk

 

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