From Andy M

Sunday, 1 July 2012

Yes they will impinge on the view - perhaps, in time, they will be seen to add something to it?

Chimneys, leats, mills, turbines...there's a definite continuity in the local use of the areas power resources that gets reflected in the structures that use them.

I imagine this one will cause a bit of controversy

From David D

Sunday, 1 July 2012

Are you sure these proposed turbines are 250 metres, not 250 feet?
250 metres sounds rather high.

From Roger N

Sunday, 1 July 2012

Yes, in time, perhaps we'll see them differently. But then again perhaps we won't see them at all! Unlike most of our other industrial artefacts - mills, chimneys, goits, which were built to last and designed to be there - well, in the builders' eyes, forever, the turbines have a limited life span (most planning applications quote around 25 years). That's just enough time to mean that people of my generation will have to live with them for the rest of our lives before they're dimantled. By that time, of course, we will have realised the folly of relying on an intermittent and unreliable source of power and will be investing in newer and better generating technology.

Wind turbines are an erroneous hiccup. They're being erected on an ad hoc basis with no vision of the bigger picture. There's no co-ordinated strategy about where they are located - it's simply left to people with a bit of land in exposed places who can see the potential to make a lot of money at taxpayers' expense. And of course, to justify their greed and dupe the planning committees, they play the 'saving the planet' trump card! Thank goodness the tide seems to be turning against wind power. (That's quite poignant actually - tidal power, totally predictable and reliable, with the Severn Estuary alone able to supply more than 5% of our total energy needs, must be a key element of our future strategy)

Yes, perhaps we'll see them differently. Let's face it, the ruined mills and redundant chimneys, slowly decaying and gathering moss, are a cherished part of our landscape. But I wonder if the rusting and unproductive carcases of the former turbines, by their very nature in the most exposed and visible places, will ever gain similar status. I doubt it.

(David D - the turbines are located at approx 250 metres above sea level (somewhere around 900ft) which is just below the summit of the hill between Heptonstall and Slack. The turbines themselves are 34.2m high, which will mean that they would be the highest objects for miles around.)

From Dave R

Wednesday, 4 July 2012

I wondered if this bid was connected to the latest lottery funding for the area? See here

From Mark Simmonds

Thursday, 5 July 2012

The Lottery grant referred to by Dave R was awarded to Pennine Community Power Limited who are currently advertising a community share offer to build a relatively small (10kW, 12m mast) community owned wind turbine next to the Long Causeway at Blackshaw Head. This turbine will be owned and operated by the community and its profits used to benefit the community. Full details here

As a founder of Pennine Community Power, I can state categorically that we have no involvement in the proposed turbines at Drapers Corner above Heptonstall referred to in this thread.

From Andy Dyson

Friday, 13 July 2012

Hi

Can anyone let me know the height of the tower on Heptonstall Church?. If you can I can use this as a measure to put to scale wind turbines on a photo of the view from Pecket to Heptonstall . Stoodley Pike to show how large thew will be if erected.

I think this visual approach may make the point re the intrusiveness of these turbines quite well.

Please post the height on this thread.

From Rosemary Haughton

Thursday, 23 August 2012

I live almost opposite the proposed turbines and I strongly support their construction. They may, as one respondent says, only last 25 years but these next 25 are held by most scientists to be crucial to the future of the earth's climate and therefore to the future - and even survival - of our civilisation and of many millions of people. Turbines are not the whole answer - better use of available energy from any source is even more important - but it is one of several ways to mitigate and even prevert further destruction of the planet's ecosystem. We may regret some interruption to our view but that is surely less important. Rosemary Haughton

See also

HebWeb Forum: Wind Turbine Debate (Sept-Oct 2011)