Wind farm protesters gather (From Warrington Guardian)

Wind farm protesters gather

PROTESTERS concerned about wind farms being put up in mid Cheshire are hosting a meeting in the area today, Friday.

Cheshire's branch of the Campaign for the Protection of Rural England (CPRE) is worried that Government targets are to be met at the expense of the countryside.

The talk, which takes place in the Middlewich Town Council Chamber, Victoria Building, Lewin Street, at 2.15pm, is to be given by Geoff Baker, who is campaigning against a proposed wind farm in Vale Royal.

The application is for a group of 100m high turbines on the Cheshire Plain, close to the villages of Eaton and Tarporley and the CPRE is supporting the residents, who are opposed to the plan.

Richard Bass, chairman of the CPRE, said: "We all know that renewable clean energy is the way forward but should that way be lined by structures the height of Big Ben's clock tower scattered across the Cheshire countryside?

"The campaign is very much in favour of environmentally-friendly sources of energy but we are becoming concerned that the government's targets for this are to be met at the expense of our countryside."

Richard Ellison, head of planning and building control at Vale Royal Borough Council, said there were two sites on which the borough council could get applications on, at Dutton and near to Tarporley.

He said: "We haven't had any applications yet.

"We have information that there may be applications coming in a month or so, but I cannot confirm that."

Numbers are limited for the CPRE meeting.

For more information, ring Debbie Janney on 01606 835046.