News

 PLANNING APPLICATION FOR 60M MAST
EnergieKontor (Belford Burn site) have just applied
to Northumberland County Council for the erection of an anemometer mast up to 60m in height for a temporary period of 3 years. View  APPLICATION
An anemometer is an instrument that measures wind speed.

BELFORD BURN EXHIBITION

EnergieKontor who are proposing the wind farm development, ‘Belford Burn’ at Sionside Farm Belford, held an two day exhibition at Belford First school on the 12th and 13th of March. Over one hundred and fifty people attended and an exit pole was conducted.
Results:  98.24% of those attending voted at the exit poll = very strong local objection (only 3 attendees did no  vote)
For their proposal  0%
Undecided  0.59% (one person)
Against their proposal – 99.41%!

YET ANOTHER WIND FARM PROPOSAL FOR BELFORD.

Energiekontor UK Ltd, a German company based in Leeds,  are planning a further 9 turbines to continue on from the Middleton Burn proposal, on Sionside Farm, Belford. This company is also proposing 7 turbines at Reston, Berwickshire, where they already have permission for a met mast. They faced considerable opposition on the two public meetings they organised there.

AGM

Our first AGM was held in the Community Club, Belford on Friday 17th February 2012. It was well attended with many people signing up for membership, swelling our ever increasing numbers. Many donations were also made for which we are very
grateful. The draft constitution was ratified, and 11 members were elected to
the MBAG committee.

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100% VOTE NO!

MBAG  held an open public meeting at the Bell View Centre, Belford, on 23 November which was addressed by Jens Rasmussen for Air Farmers and Andrew Joicey for the opposition.After hearing the presentations a ballot was held asking people to vote whether they supported, opposed or had no opinion on the proposal.

Of some 80 people at the meeting 70 voted, ALL were against. NONE supported the proposal.All ballot papers were signed and had valid addresses.


EXIT POLL RESULT

An exit poll of visitors to Air Farmers’ presentation at the Bell View Centre on Thursday, 29 September, showed that 93.6% were against the proposal.

The figures were:         10 For               250 Against                7 Undecided.

Visitors were asked a simple, unslanted question on whether they were for or against the proposal. Ballot papers have their authors’ contact details and are available for inspection by the planning authority.

This contrasts with the heavily slanted and leading questionnaire used by  Air Farmers. Typical of the way their questions were posed was: “9) Wind Resource; regarding the use of this free, available and non-polluting energy source …”.

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PRESS COVERAGE

‘Duke of Northumberland backing anti-wind farm protestors’, The Journal, 10 November, 2011.
‘Storm blows up over windfarm proposals’, Northumberland Gazette, 6 October, 2011.
‘Hundreds say no to controversial turbines scheme’, Northumberland Gazette, 6 October, 2011.
‘Anger over wind farm plan’, Berwick Advertiser, 25 September 2011.
‘New Belford wind farm plan set to spark controversy’, The Journal, 17 September, 2011.
‘Spoiling route of St Cuthbert’, Letter, Northumberland Gazette, 14 October, 2011.

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