MEP welcomes delay on Staffordshire wind farm plan

Tuesday, November 9 2010

Staffordshire MEP Mike Nattrass, who has backed a concerted and long-running campaign against plans to build a wind farm in Stone, has welcomed news that the scheme has been put on hold.

The UKIP MEP for the West Midlands is calling on Severn Trent Water to permanently ditch proposals to build a wind farm in Aston by Stone following news that the proposed project is to be put on hold for at least two years.

Mr Nattrass has campaigned with residents for more than a year against the scheme which envisaged building a 200ft wind monitor and three monstrous 433ft high wind turbines on land owned by Severn Trent Water at Aston Hall Farm.

Now, there appears to be light at the end of the tunnel following confirmation from Severn Trent Water that it is to delay its investigations into the Aston Hall site until September 2012.

The move follows campaigning by members of the STOPstw action group and UKIP MEP Mike Nattrass.

Mr Nattrass said: “I welcome Severn Trent Water’s decision to put the wind farm scheme on hold but I am now calling for the scheme to be scrapped completely.

“Wind turbines are woefully inefficient and if you take away the subsidy from such schemes they are simply not viable.

“There are far better ways of generating power. Instead of throwing hard earned taxpayers’ money at inefficient wind farms money should instead be invested in new clean coal technology which would provide jobs at a time when they are so desperately needed.

“The Government continues to fritter away taxpayers’ money on subsiding otherwise unviable and eyesore wind farm projects. It is time the coalition woke up and I hope what has happened in Aston by Stone is that wake up call,” he added.

Andrew Illsley, UKIP Stone Branch Chairman and a local resident, said: “Severn Trent’s announcement is good news for the area and demonstrates how local campaigning can pay off.

“However, there is still work to be done as the threat of developing these turbines has not gone away. Mike Nattrass and I will continue to support residents in their fight against these plans.”