Wind farm cuts ‘do not go far enough’
A NEW cut to wind farm subsidies does not go far enough, campaigners have claimed.
The Government announced yesterday that the subsidy for onshore wind electricity generation – added to electricity bills – will be cut by 10 per cent.
Local campaigners against onshore wind, and Daventry’s MP Chris Heaton-Harris, had been calling for a reduction of 25 per cent, or even scrapping them altogether.
Trevor Sherman, from Winwick, has fought against wind farms in the Daventry area. He said: “I don’t think this goes far enough.
“We already have enough turbines built or given permission. These are big organisations who can afford to put up turbines without the help of subsidies. All we’re doing is chasing EU targets.
“We mustn’t forget that these subsidies are added directly to electricity bills – the money doesn’t come from Government but from bill payers. We’ve got people in fuel poverty and adding this money onto bills isn’t helping.”
Last month Mr Heaton-Harris said he believed the Treasury was looking at a reduction of 25 per cent.
Yolanda Wilcox, from Stop Gap which campaigns against wind farms in the area around Watford Gap, said: “We’re disappointed the cut is so small.
“All it will mean is more turbines being built in our area, which has already been blighted by the large numbers built or given permission.
“We’d have supported George Osborne’s 25 per cent cut.”
As subsidies are paid for by electricity bill-payers, the reduction will also reduce household electricity bills by £5 to £6 a year on average.
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Weather for Daventry
Wednesday 22 May 2013
Today
Cloudy
Temperature: 3 C to 15 C
Wind Speed: 20 mph
Wind direction: North west
Tomorrow
Light showers
Temperature: 4 C to 10 C
Wind Speed: 18 mph
Wind direction: North west
