communities against reagill & sleagill turbines

Rory  walked from Reagill to Wintertarn, on Saturday 12th February, to visit proposed windfarm sites with CARST (Communities Against Reagill & Sleagill Turbines). Rory described it as a “wonderfully unique landscape, wholly inappropriate for wind turbines.”

The walk organised by CARST showed local MP Rory the 50-foot high anemometer mast, recently erected at Reagill by Nottingham-based Pure Renewable Energy Ltd to gather data to support an application for a wind farm.  Original plans indicated that eleven turbines, two and half times as high as the mast, were being proposed.

CARST Chairman Jason Hill welcomed Mr Stewart and thanked him for taking the time to visit the site and to see for himself the prominent position above the Eden valley that was being proposed for the turbines.  Walkers were able to see that any turbines would be visible from the Lake District National Park, the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and much of the Eden Valley.

 

Rory and the CARST team on one of the proposed sites

Georgina Perkins of CARST said: “When the M6 was built the stretch between the Lune and the Eden was carefully designed to ensure minimal impact on the skyline.  I think Rory Stewart has great sympathy with that intention. and he hopes to help prevent the further industrialisation of this landscape.”

Reagill resident Martin Stone took the opportunity to explain that the landowners most closely involved with the project, and who stood to gain financially, did not live near the proposed turbines and would not be adversely affected. In discussing how wind farm development in the area could be resisted Mr Stewart said: “Our number one income-earner is tourism.  All our other businesses benefit from the Cumbrian brand of the landscape, the northern Lake District and the Pennines.   We need to say that in this time of cuts and economic pressure our tourism, our economy and therefore our landscape are central to us, and for this reason we need to say we are a national exception, we are not like the rest of the country – our natural landscape must be preserved.”

Rory Stewart praised the work of CARST and said that he hoped the same energy he had seen in action could be harnessed for positive good once this campaign was over.

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