Friends of the Earth is calling on the Countryside Agency to drop its opposition to the proposed wind farm at Whinash in Cumbria and promote sustainable development. The Countryside Agency is scheduled to give evidence to the public inquiry on Tuesday 17 May 2005 about the landscape and visual impact of the proposed wind farm.

On 5 May the Countryside Agency decided to consider extending the boundaries of the Lake District National Park to include the wind farm site, a proposal which the Agency suggests would cost around £800,000 over three financial years [1]. The move appeared timed to strengthen the case against the wind farm.

Local supporters of the wind farm point out that the site, next to the M6, may not meet the Countryside Agency's criteria for National Park status because of the proximity of power lines and a motorway. The Countryside Agency has considered park boundary changes on four previous occasions [2]. Friends of the Earth dismissed claims that if Whinash gets the green light, this could set a precedent for building wind farms in National Parks, as `scaremongering'.

Margaret Sanders of South Lakeland Friends of the Earth, said:

"If they think this area should have been part of the National Park they have had 60 years to say so. Why make a fuss now? We don't oppose the extension of the National Park, but if it can be extended to include the power lines and even the M6, then it could surely accommodate the wind farm, too. We don't think it is right to stop the wind farm on the basis of possible boundary revisions. Indeed, it is far from certain that the area meets the landscape assessment criteria for National Park status - that remains to be decided."

Friends of the Earth's Executive Director, Tony Juniper said:

"The remit of the Countryside Agency is to advance sustainable development, but it looks like the Agency may be losing sight of the bigger picture. Landscape values must be considered along with wildlife, access and global environmental issues like climate change.

"The new government is going to have to make some hard choices to deliver on its climate change promises. Wind power is not the whole answer, but it is an important part of it. We need to tackle our demand for energy, replace our old coal fired power stations with cleaner and more efficient technology, tackle emissions from road transport and aviation and shift energy markets to provide incentives for companies and individuals to save energy, as well as developing renewable energy. If we don't get a move on and start cutting our carbon dioxide emissions, our landscape is going to be damaged by climate change on a scale that is presently unimaginable."

Jill Perry, who is giving evidence to the inquiry for Friends of the Earth, said:

"Whether or not wind farms have a negative impact on the landscape is a matter of opinion. Surveys show that a majority of the public are in favour of wind turbines. Many see them as graceful symbols of a more sustainable society. It is incredible that some people suggest that dirty, expensive, outdated and unpopular nuclear power should be an alternative to renewable power".

Climate change is already causing damage in the Lake District National Park and the predicted impacts in the north-west include increased rates of soil erosion, landslips, flooding, drought and loss of biodiversity. The flora and fauna and landscape in the National Park are more vulnerable to frequent storm damage and drought due to the height of the land and greater use. Other areas in the region that are of international importance to wildlife, such as Morecombe Bay, are also at risk from rising sea level.

Notes to editors:

[1] According to Countryside Agency Board paper `Recommended areas of search, for land worthy of national landscape designation in the north west region AP05/18:

Variation orders for the two National Parks are likely to require about four additional staff and programme costs of around £800,000 over three financial years, assuming that relatively short (say six week) public inquiries are held.

[2] Existing Park boundaries (which were drawn primarily on administrative grounds) and parts have been considered for designation on four subsequent occasions, as parts of other reviews, including a 1984 National Park boundary review, when work on the Yorkshire Dales National Park boundary ceased when the Countryside Commission stopped its programme because of resource constraints.

Jill Perry will be giving evidence to the inquiry on behalf of Friends of the Earth, scheduled in the draft programme for Tuesday 7 June 2005.

The UK government plans to source 10% of electricity demand from renewable sources by 2010. Wind farms are expected to provide three quarters of this amount - 7.5% of electricity demand. To meet this target, both onshore and offshore farms will be needed. Electricity generation is responsible for around 30% of the UK's carbon dioxide emissions, the rest comes from heating, industry, agriculture and transport.

27 turbines are proposed, each between 2.5 - 3.0 MW capacity, which is yet to be decided. So the installed capacity of the scheme would be between 67.5 MW and 81 MW depending on the type of turbine chosen. The estimated load factor of the scheme is estimated at 35% of installed capacity. This is higher than most UK windfarms to date. This higher load factor is due to the greater efficiency of modern turbine designs and materials and also the higher hub height where there are higher windspeeds.

The estimated annual electricity generated would be around 207 million kWhrs per year if the smaller 2.5 MW turbines are specified. For comparison, a large 1.1 GW nuclear power station might generate 8,760 million kWhrs per year.