News and Information from FLAT

A MESSAGE FROM FLAT

As you are no doubt aware, we at FLAT have been a bit quiet over the past couple of months.  However this does not mean that the Wind Factory proposal has gone away and the purpose of this note is to update you as far as we are able to do so.  Unfortunately hard facts have been few and far between over recent months but rumours have been rife.  Some of the rumours cannot really be put into print but others such as speculation that original consortium members who pulled out in May 2007 have now rejoined the consortium and that land owners near Tilney have joined, will not seem to go away.

However, we in FLAT pride ourselves in only reporting facts that we know are correct and that we can back up with evidence.  Unfortunately the consortium and their representatives do not share our belief in open and honest debate and still continue to shroud their development in secrecy and subterfuge.  In an attempt to try and break though this veil of secrecy we have recently written to the shareholders of Marshland Windfarm Ltd (ie the company who will actually build the Wind Factory) in the hope that they would begin to engage in open and honest debate about the development (a copy of this letter is now on our website).  However they have treated us with the same contempt as that shown by the local consortium and their consultants (Messrs Robinson and Pittingdale) and have not even had the decency to reply to our letter.  Therefore we can only assume that the original proposal for twenty six, 139 metre (420 feet) high turbines will still be the basis for any future planning application.

However should this get as far as a planning application there are a number of factors in our favour including:

• The convincing result of the Parish Poll held in October 2007.
  
  
• The MOD have stated that they will give “robust response” to the proposal which in the light of recent press articles probably means that they will object to it.
  
  
• Our local Borough Councillor (David Markinson) continues to fight against these developments at every opportunity.  He has recently made policy proposals to KL&WN Borough Council that would protect areas of countryside from these forms of development.  His stance is 100% supported by our MP Henry Bellingham.
  
• The refusal of the Borough Council to allow wind speed testing equipment to be erected at Syderstone as a precursor to a full Wind Factory development.

HOWEVER, WE CANNOT BE COMPLACENT BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT THEY ARE STILL CONTINUING TO SECRETLY DO AS MUCH AS THEY CAN BEHIND THE SCENES IN THE HOPE THAT NO ONE GETS TO KNOW ABOUT IT.

An example of what they are doing behind the scenes includes surveys of the area conducted by a German company.  On the 2nd February 2008 we followed this van (click to enlarge photos) from Marshland to Tilney. 

They made a number of stops along the way to take photographs.  For those of you who don’t speak German the slogans on the back of the van translate to heavy transport switching, stretching investigation, permission, construction supervision and steel plate letting.  We can therefore only assume that they were undertaking preliminary investigations in relation to the wind factory.  WE GET THE FEELING THAT MANY LOCAL RESIDENTS  THOUGHT THAT THIS PROJECT HAD “GONE AWAY” – UNFORTUNATELY THESE PICTURES PROVE THAT IT HAS NOT!!!!

Has anyone else seen this van and if so – where?  Please e-mail any member of the FLAT committee with any sighting or anything else that you think is relevant to our campaign.  It was a local Parishioner that alerted us to the activities of the survey van, and for this we are very grateful.  With your help, the consortium are not able to do too many things without us knowing about it!!

As a final point we would remind everyone that there will be no Wind Farm built without land being available to build the turbines on.  Half of the original consortium have already pulled out (unless some of the current rumours are true), and without the remaining landowners THIS DEVELOPMENT WOULD NOT HAPPEN.  We would therefore encourage everyone to make their views known to the remaining consortium members in a firm but peaceful and legal way so that they are left in no doubt about the strength of local feeling.  When, and if, we obtain the names of “new members” of the consortium we will, of course, make them public.

Finally can we please once again request that you be alert and vigilant and let us know of anything (via an e-mail to any of the Committee members) that you think will be useful to our campaign.  WITH YOUR HELP WE CAN DEFEAT THIS UNWANTED DESECRATION OF OUR BELOVED FENLAND LANDSCAPE!

The FLAT Committee
February 2008