Are turbines a tourist turn-off?

Published on 1st February 2007 in News

The flurry of potential windfarm activity in the area continued this week when an application for two wind turbines at Barmby on the Marsh was approved by the East Riding of Yorkshire Council (ERYC) - despite fears that the county's tourism industry could be damaged.

It is the second time that the application for two wind turbines at the Water Treatment Works near Barmby has been submitted by Yorkshire Water Services, being withdrawn the first time following an objection from the Ministry of Defence.

But meeting in Beverley on Tuesday, members of the ERYC's planning committee approved the application as it was believed that two turbines would fit well in a sparsely-populated area that, when viewed from the A63, would be against the backdrop of Drax Power Station, high-voltage electricity transmission lines and the twelve 100-metre high turbines planned for Rusholme wind farm, near Selby.

Yorkshire Water Services said that the wind turbines would be used to help meet higher water quality standards and would help to reduce greenhouse gases.

Objections were submitted to the ERYC from Wressle Parish Council and Asselby Parish Council, as well as complaints from a nearby resident who believed that the 90-metre-high turbines would be noisy, look unacceptable in their surroundings and act as a gateway to allow other wind farm schemes to be built in the area.

Richard Boldan, chairman of Asselby Parish Council, told the Goole Times that there had not been any written objections from residents to the Parish Council due to a tight timescale for public consultations, but added: "The Parish Council strongly opposed this application because it felt that the visual impact would far outweigh any environmental gains.

"I personally don't think that wind farms in general are the answer to renewable energy concerns."

The recent spate of wind farm applications throughout the East Riding has raised concerns about how the local tourist industry could be affected.

Travel to see the turbines?

Energy companies believe that schemes could attract visitors to the area. On Monday the applicants for the Barmby on the Marsh scheme - as well as those submitting applications for turbines at Routh, near Beverley and Lissett, near Driffield - presented their cases to members of the ERYC's council committee at a pre-planning meeting.

But John Walker, from the Thorne and District Windfarm Advisory Group, told the Goole Times that wind turbines were not likely to promote tourism.

He said: "Wind turbines are not a tourist attraction. They may not deter tourists from going into an area, but tourists will not go somewhere to see a wind turbine."