Welcome to www @ Moorsyde (We Want a Windfarm at Moorsyde). We are a local group of people who support the Moorsyde Windfarm project near Berwick-upon-Tweed. We seek to represent the voices of the people of the area who do want a windfarm in this area.
Public Inquiry
Moorsyde Wind Farm is a project to build a 7 turbine wind farm near Felkington, south-west of Berwick-upon-Tweed.
The wind farm will generate enough renewable electricity to power approximately 7,000 homes every year. To put this into context, this is the same as around 60% of all households in the borough of Berwick all receiving electricity from a clean, non-polluting source.
But despite the clear need for us all to make use of natural resources and help fight climate change, Berwick borough councillors voted against the proposal.
Now an independent Planning Inspector will consider the application afresh. It is very important that she understands that local people are supporting this renewable energy project.
She will hold a four-week public inquiry starting on Wednesday 6 May at the Maltings Arts Centre in Berwick.
We have heard that the Inspector has returned some of your letters. However she has let us know that they can be presented to her on the first day of the Inquiry. You can give it to her in person or email your letter to moorsyde4us@hotmail.co.uk
Both us and Your Energy will be collating responses received and we will hand them in for you if you prefer.
Remember to quote the reference number APP/V2913/A/08/2079520 and head your message 'Appeal by Moorsyde Wind Farm Limited for site at Felkington, Berwick upon
There is more information on the benefits of wind energy below and of course you will have your own good reasons for supporting this project but we think the following points are important:
- Professional planning officers, backed up by professional advisors, recommended that Moorsyde Wind Farm be approved
- Natural
- The project has a lot of support. More people wrote letters to Berwick Borough Council in favour of the wind farm than against it. Now we need to write once more to get this message across to the Inspector
- Wind farms can only be built in suitable places. Moorsyde is within one of only three areas in Berwick that have been identified as suitable in landscape terms for wind farms
- The wind farm will have another benefit for the local area. The Moorsyde Community Fund will see over £500,000 spent on environmentally-friendly initiatives in our area.
Ian's Youtube Speech
We remember with fondness one of our members, the late Ian McGregor MBE; especially his tireless energy and enthusiaism for the Moorsyde Windfarm. Ian was a tremendous inspiration to us all and he campaigned for the windfarms at both Moorsyde and Barmoor up until the end. He even ensured that his final speech for the planning committee was made available on youtube.com - go to:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rIwAOpnAeLU
We hope his work and his committment are not in vain and we continue to share his vision of seeing a windfarm built here in windy north Northumberland.
Supportive voices
A number of important voices are all saying that wind power is viable and efficient and it does work. The Dti (Department of Trade and Industry) are backing wind power. The Dti reports that “the average UK wind farm will pay back the energy used in its manufacture within three to five months.” And wind farms have lifetimes of 20 to 25 years. For a brilliant site on dispelling the myths about Wind Farms go to : Dti (Wind Power myths dispelled)
Greenpeace support wind power. Friends of the Earth and Greenpeace have initiated a Yes 2 Wind' campaign which has a fabulous site dealing with wind issues. Yes 2 WInd is also backed by the WWF.
The Sustainable Development Commission is a government advisory body which claims onshore wind is 'already competitive with conventional power stations and will be the cheapest source of electricity by 2020'. This body has produced a comprehensive little booklet which seeks to answer questions on wind power.
Many companies are enthusiastic about wind power and both Ford and Manchester City Football Club have their own wind turbines.
The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) views climate change as the most serious long-term threat to wildlife in the UK and globally… ….The RSPB favours a broad mix of renewables, especially those, like solar energy, with large long- term potential and minimal environmental impacts.However, (they state on their website that) wind power has the greatest potential to make a significant difference in the UK in the coming decade.It is the most advanced and widely available of the new renewable technologies. They add: The available evidence suggests that appropriately positioned wind farms do not pose a significant hazard for birds.
The community of North Northumberland will benefit immensely from this development and it will put Berwick-upon-Tweed on the map. It will provide clean energy for over thousands of homes and will directly benefit Berwick and the surrounding region financially. The total set up cost of the wind farm runs into millions of pounds. Around 80% of this project value is tied up in the wind turbines. However, the remaining 20% is for civil work (foundations, tracks etc.) and this could go to local businesses. Following this there will be a Community Benefit fund bringing in approximately £500,000 over the life of the project). It is hoped that this will bring in much needed funds to help the area in a great variety of ways through local organisations and charities.
Please note that www @ Moorsyde is neither an email address or a url link.Local Artist's work shows 'An Inconvenient Truth'
A local artist and member of our group, Jean Curtis has been busy again with her paintbrush. She has provided another three fabulous paintings to add to our website. Previously she painted four landscapes showing the beauty of windfarms. Since then she has produced three works highlighting what the landscape will look like soon if we don't do something soon about global warming.
Recent, research involving over 120 nations, along with the evidence presented by the fabulous oscar winning film "An Inconvenient Truth" show how global warming is due to our production of Carbon Dioxide and is not part of the natural trend of our planet as seen over the past 7 ice ages. Current levels of C02 are way over the levels ever seen during this vast period.
Photographs of Jean's work can be viewed on a webpage set aside for this purpose - Click on the tab at the top of the page or click on the following link:
http://www.freewebs.com/moorsyde4us/jeanspaintings.htm
Why wind power is vital in the battle against climate chaos
Climate change is the greatest threat facing humanity. The vast majority of the world's top climate scientists are telling us that we have just ten years and perhaps less, to avert a global catastrophe in which our climate spins out of control and unleashes destruction on an epic scale. Climate change is already killing 150,000 people a year according to the World Health Organisation. There is still time to prevent the worst effects but not much. We have to act now.
The remedy will require radical changes to the way we create and consume energy, including investment in clean energy such as wind power. A combination of renewable energy technologies, energy efficiency measures and decentralised energy (electricity produced near where it used) can provide us with all the power we need and drastically cut our greenhouse gas emissions. Wind power is an absolutely vital part of the solution and it is the most mature and cost-effective renewable technology in the world today.
It is no secret that wind farm plans can sometimes be controversial. But too many times, perhaps unintentionally, local anti-wind groups spread a lot of myths and misinformation about the dangers and effectiveness of wind farms. If we are going to have a productive debate about the methods we use to tackle climate change, it is crucial that the public are able to have all the facts.
The reality is that wind power is safe, clean, cheap and reliable. The industry is over 20 years old and countries throughout the world are now investing heavily in wind power: the global wind power market increased by 40% last year.
No one is suggesting that wind farms will provide the answer to all of our energy needs, but they do form an increasingly important part of our national energy portfolio. Local sites such as Moorsyde will make a significant contribution to meeting the Government's target of producing 15% of our energy from renewable sources by 2015. And they are popular, too: poll after poll shows public support for wind power in the
Wind power is one of the most appealing and logical methods of producing clean, sustainable, carbon-free energy. We must support it now and it has a huge job to do.
Other useful information:
For a map of the Moorsyde project visit: http://www.your-energy.co.uk/map.htm
Don't forget to visit the BREWS site - not for the beer but for another pro-windfarm group in the area who are hoping to see a windfarm in their locality (BREWS = Barmoor Renewable Energy & Windfarm Supporters).
Click on the following link and register your support: http://www.brews.org.uk
Greenpeace have an excellent video on their website concerning renewable energy and specifically about CHP systems (Combined Heat & Power). This video is really worth looking at - you can find it at:
http://www.greenpeace.org.uk/contentlookup.cfm?&ucidparam=20060612140326
For another great site on renewable energy go to: http://www.nef.org.uk This is the National Energy Foundation website and it's an independent charity that provides information, advice and training for any who want to utilise renewables.
Some windfarm photos:
Here are some photographs of Wind turbines:
