Little Cheyne Court Wind Farm
| Little Cheyne Court Wind Farm | |
|---|---|
 Little Cheyne Court wind farm, close to power lines running to Dungeness Nuclear Power Station | |
 | |
| Country | England, United Kingdom |
| Location | Romney Marsh |
| Coordinates | 50°57′45″N 00°49′13″E / 50.96250°N 0.82028°E |
| Status | Operational |
| Commission date | April 2009 |
| Power generation | |
| Units operational | 26 x 2.3 MW |
| Make and model | Nordex: N90 |
| Nameplate capacity | 59.8 MW |
| External links | |
| Commons | Related media on Commons |
The Little Cheyne Court Wind Farm is located 7 kilometres (4.3 miles) west of Lydd on Romney Marsh. It was built by npower renewables and cost around £50 million. The 26 wind turbines, each 115 metres (377 ft) high, are distributed over an area of 4 km2 (1.5 sq mi) with peak generation of 59.8 MW.[1]
Opposition to the windfarm
[edit]The site has proved controversial and has been opposed by parish, district and county councils, the local MP and other groups as detrimental to the visual appearance of the Marsh[2] and a threat to wildlife. However, they were overruled by Central Government, and the turbines were erected in the period June - October 2008.[1] The DTI indicated that a significant number of local people submitted comments in favour of the project, whilst a consistent 70% to 80% of the UK public support wind farms.[3] Some local campaigners still oppose the development, attracting accusations of "rural nimbyism" and being under the "sinister" influence of the nuclear lobby.[4] Conversely, campaigners for the siting attract accusations of "professional" self-interest and of hiding behind the truism that obviously renewable energy is beneficial.
The RSPB,[5] CPRE Kent and English Nature[6] all objected to the use of this particular site as a wind farm on environmental grounds. The proximity of the site to the internationally important RSPB reserve and the land's status as an SSSI were particularly controversial.
References
[edit]- ^ a b "Little Cheyne Court Wind Farm". RWE Innogy. Archived from the original on 28 April 2012. Retrieved 6 February 2012.
- ^ "Debunking the myths". Archived from the original on 24 October 2003.
- ^ "Public Attitudes to Wind Energy in the UK" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 25 February 2006.
- ^ Toynbee, Polly (13 August 2004). "Countryside alliance". The Guardian. London.
- ^ "Little Cheyne Court windfarm". RSPB. Archived from the original on 2 January 2007.
- ^ "Disappointment at Romney Marsh windfarm decision". 18 October 2005. Archived from the original on 28 September 2007. Retrieved 30 September 2012.
