DONG energy, the company that manages the Burbo Bank wind farm in the Irish Sea is holding a community consultation event this Saturday in Hoylake. It is one of four events to be held in the region with the aim of giving local communities and other interested groups including organisations and businesses the opportunity to learn more about the proposal to extend the existing Burbo Bank offshore wind farm.
The event is being held at Hoylake Community Centre, Hoyle Road on Saturday 21st April from 10am – 4pm. Representatives will be on hand to answer your queries. You can read a bit of background to the expansion plans in this post from last May.
Project Development Manager, Ferdinando Giammichele said: “This is an excellent opportunity for us to explain our plans, discuss them with local people and listen to everyone’s ideas and opinions as we go through the final development stage. These events are the cornerstone of our consultation process and we really do want as many people to come along as possible so we can develop a real understanding of what local communities want”.
For more information visit: burbobankextension.co.uk
What do you think of the existing wind farm and the plans to extend it? Have your say below, either now or after you’ve been to visit the presentation on Saturday.
It think the extension is just what we need then we will have 60 blots on the seascape that hardly ever turn. I cannot believe how we waste such huge amounts of money on an inefficient, unproved fad. And they will be there for EVER totally spoiling the horizon. Is there no common sense in Britain any more? We all know they do not work efficiently but we have arbitrary targets to reach so to hell with the consequences on the people who live and visit our shores. For ‘consultation’ read another deaf tick box exercise.
The real problem is the long term maintenance. At the last road show I asked if there were funds ring-fenced to ensure they are maintained and then for their removal….. DONG did not know! Most surprising for a “Professional” company.
What happens if/when the government stops the subsidy and DONG goes “Bong”?
I am also very concerned for small craft safety, what if a boat or ship ends up drifting among them – not very safe with the turbines going and all the tower bases to smash into.
The final point is the “carbon saving” you still need the ability to generate electricity (from gas) that can be switched on and off quickly to make up for the power that should come from the wind farm for the hours when there is not enough or too much wind!
Wind power is a very small help and a very big expensive con!
All the real technical jobs are abroad with DONG.
Wake up Wirral, particularly the residents of Meols, Hoylake & West Kirby, to the terrible distruction that will happen here if the massive extension to the wind farm go ahead. Danish company, Dong, are planning 75 extra turbines the size of which could be even bigger than those already in place (150m), a metmast (approx size between 60 – 100m tall) and also an offshore substation which bears resemblance to an offshore oil rig, which will be situated amongst the turbines. All this just 4 miles from our shore, stretching right across the bay. Liverpool Bay has already been defaced by three offshore wind farms, Rhyl Flats (25 turbines), North Hoyle (30),Burbo Bank (25) plus a forth landbased at Seaforth (6). Construction has begun on a fifth wind farm at Gwynt y Mor, on the west side of Liverpool Bay, covering 79 square kilometres with 160 turbines. Making it one largest wind farms in the world, totally ruining the beautiful North Wales coastline and will clearly seen from anywhere around the bay.On completion on Gwynt y Mor in 2014 the total number of turbines sited in the Bay will be a massive 246. Enough is enough, Five wind farms in the same area is five too many. a sixth wind farm, would amount to the victimisation of the same people and their communities yet again. The visual impact of the massive infrastructure will be totally devastating to our beautiful bay, alives and where we live. This will turn desirable residential areas, such as ours, into a massive industrial site, reducing the value of our properties and having a serious knock -on effect in our villages. Visitors to this are, vital to the local economy, would simple cease to come. Lets face it, who would want to live here let alone visit, if all the magnificant views, which are the very reason we choose to live here, are destroyed. So many turbines will a huge detrimental effect on tidal flows, damaging the special ecology we enjoy here. Due to the almost total lack of information available regarding the public consultation events, it appears that Dong and the Local Authorities are colluding to keep it as low key as possible. If you bear in mind that less than 100 people attended the last public consultation in Hoylake in 2011, and overall at the four events staged for consultation, only 288 people attended – this is not apathy – this is lack of advertising the events – no use of local radio, T.V. and minimal press coverage ie in two local newspaper which due to financial constrainst have limited circulation. We have only found one advert for this years event, tucked away in the cornere of the Wirral News.
DOES ANYONE KNOW HOW TO START AN ‘E-PETITION’ TO TRY AND PREVENT THIS FURTHER EXTENSION ?
Of course wind turbines are only a small part of the solution to our energy needs, particularly if we’re not into ditching our high-energy lifestyles just yet. I’d be more concerned if a nuclear power station or gas fracking was about to happen on our (or anyone’s) doorstep. Plenty of doorsteps around here are not far from, or far above, the present alignment of the beautiful coastline. So while these guys haven’t got all the answers, at least they’re not leaving everything to the next generation to sort out, including filling the sandbags!
Do you honestly believe that windfarms in Britain are going to halt or slow global warming? Any reduction in emissions would be massively offset by increased emissions in China, India and the rest of the developing world. It is tragic that we in Britain are prepared to destroy the natural beauty of vast swathes of land and coastline for the principle of “better to do something than do nothing”. Once all our countryside has gone we will regret in at our leisure.
To start an e-petition against the Burbo Bank Extension Wind Farm, or anything else for that matter, you need to go to http://epetitons.direct.gov.uk and follow the on-screen instructions.
Its not as if they’re that safe. This was at Ardrossan this winter
http://dailypicksandflicks.com/2011/12/09/wind-turbine-explodes-in-flames-at-ardrossan-scotland-picture-gallery/
Please sign the e-petition against the Burbo Bank Extension Wind Farm as it is currently planned by clicking on the link below and following the on-screen instructions. We are not opposed to all wind farms just those which are inappropriately located like this one.
http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/34283