One of the major arguments against the proposals to build a wind farm at Thorington Barn is the problems being caused at Kessingland.
Repeatedly we hear that the problems caused to residents in Kessingland are those that are being imported to residents in South West Ipswich by Ipswich Borough Council’s decision to give an option on a contract to a wind farm developer.
We hear how much support the Kessingland group have had from their MP, Peter Aldous, which certainly contrasts with those residents in SW Ipswich who have barely seen or heard anything from Ben Gummer MP.
Yet today we can report that Peter Aldous part owns the land that will take one of two proposed wind turbines, inflicting on residents of South West Ipswich and Belstead Village what he campaigns against in his own constituency.
The land at Pannington Hall is owned by the Aldous family, although leased to farmer Jimmy Doherty of Jimmy’s Farm fame. Peter Aldous told the Ipswich Star: “The land has been in my family for 80 or 90 years, and I have a small interest in it but no management responsibilities.”
Decisions on the management of the land are taken by other members of the family who are trustees, and his brother Simon Aldous who acts as estate manager.
It seems that Simon Aldous believed that he was doing residents of South West Ipswich a favour by agreeing to take the second turbine on Pannington Hall land, since he felt it would take the site further away from the majority of residents.
This apes the argument made by Partnership for Renewables (PfR) that they have moved the turbines further away following public feedback. Yet it is more likely that it was their technical review that meant the second turbine could not be built on the Ipswich Borough land – the “fall” radius would have left it at risk of falling on the Great Eastern Main Line, something Network Rail were unlikely to allow.
Indeed had the second site, on Pannington Hall land, not been available, it is possible that the whole development would not make financial sense. Some might even argue that the Aldous family are just as responsible as Ipswich Borough Council for inflicting these turbines on residents.
Filed under: Government, Ipswich Borough Council, Planning Tagged: | Ben Gummer MP, Wind Turbines, Thorington Hall, Partnership for Renewables, PfR, Peter Aldous MP, Jimmy Doherty, Pannington Hall, Jimmy's Farm
Reblogged this on A Riverside View and commented:
The remark that SW Ipswich Residents have barely seen or heard from Ben Gummer MP is unfair. It is on a neighbouring constituencies land. Apart from that, it’s a rather interesting article.