David Warburton, Conservative Parliamentary Candidate for Somerton and Frome, joined the No2WindFarm action group, The Wurzels’ manager Sil Wilcox, local businessman Chris Haynes, proprietor of Haynes Motor Museum, and nearly 200 further local residents to hear the proposals put forward by Distgen for siting a 216 foot wind turbine in Laverton, near Frome.
At the Public Consultation, which took place on Friday at the Palairet Hall in Norton St. Philip, the No2WindFarm action group conducted a straw poll which revealed that 165 local residents are firmly opposed to the scheme. Just three people declared in favour of the wind turbine.
David Warburton said, “The public consultation today sends a clear message to Distgen and the local land-owner proposing this latest wind turbine scheme. While we know that wind turbines provide an important source of renewable energy, it is absolutely imperative that we preserve the natural beauty of our rural landscape.
Laverton is an historic, picturesque village and we must not blight the Mendip countryside surrounding it with a man-made structure the height of 15 double-decker buses which can be seen from 30 miles around. As The Wurzels so rightly put it in their Mendip Windfarm Song released this week, They’re noisy and they’re ugly and nobody wants ‘em here.”
The Wurzels’ Mendip Windfarm Song, a protest single about wind turbines in the Westcountry, has had an enthusiastic nationwide response since its release, achieving repeated airplay on BBC Radio 2’s The Chris Evans Breakfast Show.