WEDNESDAY 17TH OCTOBER!

Next Wednesday 17^th October there will be a meeting of the Bowness, Caldbeck and Thursby Neighbourhood Forum.  Representatives from three companies which have between them submitted a great many wind turbine applications in the area will be presenting their case at this meeting.  Kevin Kerrigan, Allerdale Borough Council's Head of Planning, will also be there to explain the planning officers' position with regard to the huge number of applications we are now seeing.

On this occasion, a presentation from FORCE is not on the agenda as we gave our side of the story at the forum which was held in February.  But we have been invited to circulate notice of this meeting as widely as possible.

The number of wind energy applications and requests for screening opinions received by Allerdale since the beginning of the year now stands at 93.  If you believe that Allerdale already hosts enough wind turbines, then please join us at this meeting and help us to make this view abundantly clear to some of those who have contributed to the misery.

Wednesday 17^th October

7 – 9pm Rosley Village Hall

Please come if you can and tell your friends.  A good turnout from the public is essential!

The most recent FORCE newsletter dealt extensively with the Public Inquiry into the Hallburn and Beck Burn wind farm proposals which was due to take place at the beginning of the month.  The latest news on this is that the Inquiry opened as planned but only lasted a day and a half or so because the Inspector somewhat unexpectedly decided to adjourn the Hallburn appeal as well as the Beck Burn appeal until Tuesday 11^th December.  Proceedings will recommence on that date from 10am in the Council Chamber, Civic Centre, Rickergate, Carlisle.  The Inquiry is expected to continue over 11, 12, 18, 19, 20 and 21^st December.

Friends of Rural Cumbria's Environment take this opportunity to repeat our recommendation for residents of Allerdale to occasionally browse the weekly lists of planning applications whenever time allows.  You are certain to come across wind energy proposals, the vast majority of which are inappropriate either in terms of their size or proximity to homes.  In all of the applications submitted so far this year, FORCE has only found two which are worthy of support!  If you can find the time to put in a simple objection – it really does not have to be very detailed – this could make all the difference for us in the long run.  When Allerdale's website is open on the page of any planning application, the weekly list appears in the menu on the left hand side.