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Tuesday 10 April 2012

Giant turbines on Thornton Moor?


Interest in the Bronte Society's opposition to the proposed Thornton Moor wind mast escalated last week with extensive coverage in three national newspapers on Friday (The Independent, The Daily Telegraph and the Daily Mail) and coverage in many local papers both nationwide and overseas. 

Today has seen a consolidation of this interest with the BBC recording at the Parsonage ready to broadcast from there tomorrow morning (BBC Breakfast). Parsonage Director Andrew McCarthy was interviewed by Radio Leeds today. 


ITV's Calendar News asked for an update and have said they will be monitoring the decision and the Society's response to that decision. A large number of Society members and non members have emailed offers of support.


The decision about the mast will be made by Bradford councillors on Wednesday 11th.  There have been over one hundred public objections and the community of Denholme Gate has submitted a petition.


Thornton Moor, an inspiration for all three Brontë Sisters and a huge influence on their writing, could be home to four turbines, each more than one hundred metres in height, within a year, if the "first stage' data-gathering mast is allowed to be installed. This is the plan of Banks Renewables, the company behind the scheme.



10 comments:

Anonymous said...

it will be a travesty If these wind turbines are allowed to go ahead, it would be madness to allow anything to spoil this place of natural beauty

Anonymous said...

What gives the Bronte Society the right to comment on this issue? Its charitable objectives have nothing to do with the local environment and certainly not the pros and cons of wind power. It is putting its reputation and its charitable status at risk.

Anonymous said...

The Brontë Society has every right to comment on this proposed project. Literature does not exist in its own bubble, but is connected (should be connected) with an external world - in this case, the world close by the home of the Brontë family which provided such inspiration for them and which is visited by so many each year because of them, the world of the moors which could be ruined. There is a big issue here which concerns all of us who are at all interested in heritage, historic buildings and historic landscapes.

Anonymous said...

Literature might not exist in its own bubble, and its fine for anyone concerned with heritage and historic landscapes to promote their views. There are plenty of issues that the Bronte Society can legitimately campaign for - but this is not one of them. The Bronte Society has very specific charitable objectives concerning the memoirs and literary remains of the Bronte family. The issue of wind turbines or historic landscapes is not within their remit.

Steve said...

If "Anonymous' is a BS member, he should raise the charitable status issue at the AGM in June, especially as he mentions "putting its reputation" at risk. If he is not a member, perhaps he should quote on which paragraph of the charitable status document he is referring to.

oppugner said...

Anonymous said;
"What gives the Bronte Society the right to comment on this issue? Its charitable objectives have nothing to do with the local environment and certainly not the pros and cons of wind power. It is putting its reputation and its charitable status at risk."

That's rich. Wind companies employ Greenpeace activists to campaign locally (and lobby government) to generate signatures for support for wind farms and post in local newspapers under multiple identities to give the impression there is more support than actually exists. Yet Greenpeace is a charity as well;

http://www.windbyte.co.uk/tricks

There is a group in Huddersfield who are very active in this way. 'Anonymous' may well be one of these.

The Bronte Society has every right to be concerned about the despoiling of the landscape and the moors with these monstrosities, they are an important part of our cultural heritage, will impact on tourism, and the environment is everyones concern. Furthermore the turbines will decimate bird populations including the Linnets and Skylarks which inhabit the moor.

Steve said...

It would be outrageous if the Bronte Society did NOT comment on the defacing of the place which inspired Wuthering Heights! It's not enough to chant NIMBY - this issue of putting turbines on heritage landscapes is a big one. What's next on the list - Constable Country?

Heidi said...

Absolutely right, Steve. I agree with wind power making a contribution to our energy needs, but surely not in areas of great beauty. The turbines are being put up mainly because of a generous subsidy to the company and the guidelines issued by the EU, not because of a big belief in them - after all they are going to supply just a small fraction of our needs.

sayno2windfarm said...

So nice to read such supportive comments, If anyone would like to voice their opinion further, perhaps you could sign the action group petition? We are fighting this from every angle, including the Bronte connection, so your support would be greatly appreciated. Our website is www.sayno2windfarm.org.uk
We are also on twitter @sayno2windfarm and on Facebook as 'say no to the turbines on Thornton Moor'.
Kindest regards from Denholme Gate,
Anthea

Anonymous said...

Steve, the Thornton moor did not inspire Wuthering Heights - Emily's own imagination did that. Although I agree that the Society has every right to hold strong views, I also agree that this shouldn't be one of them. I would like to see the focus on literature and the lives of these wonderful geniuses concentrated on; if that means existing in a bubble, that's how it should be.