16 July 2012
Shailesh Vara, Member of Parliament for North West Cambridgeshire, has criticised the conduct of RWE Npower Renewables following their application to Huntingdonshire District Council for a wind farm at Molesworth.
Npower have been considering a wind farm in the area for some two years and have now submitted an application to the council – just as the holiday season starts. The deadline for objections to be submitted is 10th August 2012.
Mr Vara feels that the timing of the application is deliberate and was intended to minimise objections as some people will already have made holiday plans during this period.
Mr Vara is also critical of Npower for declining a request by Parish Councils for Npower to meet with locals at an open meeting. Instead, Npower have agreed to have a closed meeting at which only Parish Councillors can attend and only two representatives from the Stop Molesworth Wind Farm Action Group.
Mr Vara said:
“This application shows opportunism of the worst order from Npower. It is deliberately timed when they know it will be difficult for some people to make their objections known because of holiday commitments.
The situation is made worse by Npower’s refusal to have an open meeting with the community. It is bad enough that local people do not want this wind farm and worse still that Npower should behave in this way.”
Mrs Vicky Wood, Chairman of Stop Molesworth Wind Farm Action Group said:
“RWE consultation with the local community has been minimal, two newsletters and a public exhibition in 2 years when this proposal could devastate our small rural villages and countryside. Their lack of willingness to meet residents, answer questions and listen to their views is incredulous. Opposition locally far outweighs support for the wind farm. We feel they don't want to hear our views, and that planning guidelines are purely an inconvenience to them.”
Npower have been considering a wind farm in the area for some two years and have now submitted an application to the council – just as the holiday season starts. The deadline for objections to be submitted is 10th August 2012.
Mr Vara feels that the timing of the application is deliberate and was intended to minimise objections as some people will already have made holiday plans during this period.
Mr Vara is also critical of Npower for declining a request by Parish Councils for Npower to meet with locals at an open meeting. Instead, Npower have agreed to have a closed meeting at which only Parish Councillors can attend and only two representatives from the Stop Molesworth Wind Farm Action Group.
Mr Vara said:
“This application shows opportunism of the worst order from Npower. It is deliberately timed when they know it will be difficult for some people to make their objections known because of holiday commitments.
The situation is made worse by Npower’s refusal to have an open meeting with the community. It is bad enough that local people do not want this wind farm and worse still that Npower should behave in this way.”
Mrs Vicky Wood, Chairman of Stop Molesworth Wind Farm Action Group said:
“RWE consultation with the local community has been minimal, two newsletters and a public exhibition in 2 years when this proposal could devastate our small rural villages and countryside. Their lack of willingness to meet residents, answer questions and listen to their views is incredulous. Opposition locally far outweighs support for the wind farm. We feel they don't want to hear our views, and that planning guidelines are purely an inconvenience to them.”
