Wind Farm Latest - Councillor Chris Collis has Major Concerns

Councillor Chris Collis Shares Residents Fears and Concerns

Although I have stated on many occasions that as a keen environmentalist I have no problem with the concept of developing and utilising as many alternative green energy generation methods as possible, I have, however, since first hearing of the proposal to site a wind farm on land within the former Bleak House opencast mine campaigned vigorously to prevent such an ill conceived scheme from progressing any further. Quite simply I strongly believe that wind turbines have a major role to play in the production of cleaner energy, however, careful consideration must be given to where such a resource is located. Not only has the intended site got to benefit all year round from a strong and consistent level of wind, surely the intended location should be as far away from any sizable residential area as possible It's my view that applicants should be required to prove beyond all doubt that their scheme will not adversely impact on the natural and aesthetic values of any site that they are applying to use for this purpose.

The site in question is quite literally one of the last remaining unspoilt views in this part of the Cannock Chase area; the land is designated as green belt and includes several special sites of scientific interest. The area supports a diverse range of wildlife and is complimented by hundreds of species of wild flowers, grasses and trees, a fantastic outdoor class room by anyone's standards. However, for the majority of people the site provides them with a much appreciated and cherished green oasis that enables them the choice to either go for a brisk walk, treat the family to a picnic or for the less active amongst us to simply sit down and enjoy the glorious views.

The construction of three turbines each one at a staggering height of 102 metres together with the construction of a bland building to house equipment and the erection of yet another towering mast for meteorological purposes, will in my opinion have severe implications for the sites wildlife especially the bird population and totally ruin the breathtaking views that thousands of us enjoy on a daily basis. I truly believe that the levels of noise that will be generated by the wind farm will have an obvious detrimental impact on the quality of life currently experienced by the thousands of people that live near to the site.

All This Disruption and for What?

Harworth Power have stated that if given the go ahead, the Bleak House Wind Farm has the potential to generate enough energy to power up to 3500 homes. When I recently questioned one of their representatives on this issue, he did admit that to achieve that figure the turbines would need to function at full capacity for every hour of every day throughout the year - hardly likely in my view! Especially when you take into account shut down time to enable repairs and routine maintenance to be undertaken. Surely this will significantly reduce the number of possible operating hours! It's perfectly obvious to me and everyone I speak to about this issue that the exaggerated claim of supplying just 3500 homes with sustainable energy is simply not worth spoiling a good view for.

Green Light for Speed Watch Project

Your local Liberal Democrat District Councillor Chris Collis is proud to announce that residents of both Heath Hayes and Wimblebury, are soon to benefit from the introduction of their very own Community Speed Watch Scheme. The purpose of which is to perform regular speed check sessions along the Cannock, Wimblebury and Hednesford roads plus John Street, all of which are unfortunately regularly abused by motorists driving well in excess of the stipulated speed limit.

It was only during July this year when Chris was approached by Neighbourhood Watch co-ordinators Derek Baseley and Christine Skomski, to see if he could provide any assistance in the formation of a local speed watch group. Basically the initiative required promoting in order to recruit a sufficient number of volunteers and, work was needed to secure the necessary funding of £1000 to enable the project to become a reality. As always our man on the spot immediately set about achieving these objectives and as a direct result of his endeavours, the funding was quickly located and a very committed and enthusiastic band of local volunteers were encouraged to tender their services, all of which are now fully trained in the safe and legal operation of hand operated speed detection devices.

Speed Watch members left to right. D. Baseley, A. Luty, Cllr Chris Collis, Cllr Dan Davies, C. Skomski, R. Gillbert, B. Vale.

Liberal Democrat Councillor Chris Collis said," I am truly delighted to see the Heath Hayes and Wimblebury Speed Watch project becoming operational, I am sure that this initiative will help to reduce the number of motorists that drive at excessive speeds along the roads to be targeted, subsequently putting the lives of all villagers and especially our children at severe risk of injury or god forbid even worse. This is a fine example of the community joining together to take positive action to reduce speeding in their own area and I applaud the volunteers for kindly giving up their valuable time to help, I would also like to thank Liberal Democrat County Councillor Danny Davies, for supporting the scheme by providing the £1000 required to train and equip the members of the project."

Speed Watch Co-ordinator Derek Baseley added," I am absolutely chuffed to bits with the response from the community in relation to this project and I thank all those that have offered their services. I would also like to commend Councillor Chris Collis, for yet again swiftly responding to the community's appeal for help concerning the growing problem of speeding motorists on our local roads, quite simply without his assistance I don't think this Community Speed Watch scheme would have been achieved."

Liberal Democrat Councillor Chris Collis Launches Appeal

Your local Liberal Democrat Team in conjunction with the area's Neighbourhood Watch Scheme have recently launched a joint community project called Heath Hayes and Wimblebury Speedwatch, aimed at tackling the worrying and dangerous problem of speeding motorists. For sometime now people have been understandably concerned about the excessive speed at which some motorists drive on the area's roads, our man on the spot Councillor Chris Collis, fully understands these anxieties and as usual has been swift to act on behalf of the communities concerned.

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED

Scheme organisers will endeavour to recruit a sufficient number of volunteers from the villages of Heath Hayes and Wimblebury, whom will be trained in the safe operation of a hand held laser gun to enable them to check the speed at with a vehicle is being driven. Project members will also be taught how to perform their duties in a professional manner from a road safety aspect, plus all volunteers will be supplied with high visibility jackets and the road being checked will be well signed to warn motorists of the approaching speed check area. The scheme will initially concentrate on the Wimblebury Road, John Street, Hednesford and Cannock Roads, as these are the routes that the majority of people have complained about, anyone caught speeding by the volunteers will be sent a warning letter by Police, but will not be issued with a fine or receive any penalty points on their licence.

kill your speed, not a child

Councillor Collis, who is Cannock Chase Council's Safer and Stronger Communities Leader said, "Speedwatch has worked extremely well in other areas similar to Heath Hayes and Wimblebury, there is a huge amount of evidence to prove that comparable initiatives have resulted in a dramatic reduction in the number of vehicles that are driven inappropriately and clearly persuades people to drive more responsibly. This is a multi agency approach set up to encourage local residents to work together and take proactive action to tackle this very worrying problem, I am a firm believer that partnerships build communities and, are very effective method of resolving issues such as this."

SPONSORSHIP REQUIRED

Liberal Democrat Chris Collis is currently working extremely hard to obtain the required funding of £1000 in order to enable the project to progress to the next stage and, would like to hear from any individual who is interested in volunteering their services or any organisation or business that may be able to assist with sponsorship. Chris can be contacted on 01889 576412 during the day or alternatively on 01543 424220 after 6.30pm.