Wind turbine plan blights house sale

A devastated resident fighting plans for six massive wind turbines close to Stafford villages says her house sale has fallen through because of it.

Elizabeth Kennerley and her husband Gordon were about to move out of High Onn Manor in High Onn.

But the buyer decided to pull out this week after telling the owners he was concerned about the King’s Street wind farm plan at nearby Brineton.

Bristol renewable energy company Wind Prospect wants to install the turbines on land at the Bradford Estate, part of Weston Park. The turbines would be 426ft high and would generate enough electricity to power 6,000 homes.

But householders living in nearby Marston, High Onn and Church Eaton say it will wreck the area, dwarfing trees and buildings, and send house prices plummeting.

The Newsletter revealed last week that almost 100 campaigners packed into a Church Eaton parish council meeting last week to express their disgust at the plans.

They also accused Wind Prospect of bribery by saying if the scheme goes ahead the company will provide Church Eaton with a trust fund to benefit the school and community projects.

Mr Kennerley said: “The purchaser pulled out and he specifically said it was because of the wind farm plans. It will have an effect on the whole area. The turbines will be clearly seen from here and some of the lanes will be widened.

“Our house has been on the market since August for £650,000. It has been difficult enough to find a purchaser in the current climate but the prospect of selling it now seems even more difficult.”

Residents are planning to step up their campaign and were meeting this week to plan their next move.

Wind Prospect is planning a consultation event on June 24, from 2pm to 8pm. It has yet to submit a formal planning application to South Staffordshire Council.

Paul Grimshaw, development manager, said: “Wind energy is a clean, reliable and proven technology for generating electricity. The proposal at King’s Street represents a real opportunity for South Staffordshire and the West Midlands to make a significant contribution towards satisfying the need for green energy generation, help in the drive to meet regional, national and European renewable energy targets and reduce our dependence on imported fossil fuels.”