Property prices in the Burnham-On-Sea area are being dented by the uncertainty surrounding plans to build new wind farms, according to campaigners this week.
Campaigners fighting the development of a wind farm near Rooksbridge made the claim during a public meeting in Mark Village Hall on Sunday evening (September 25th) which was attended by dozens of residents.
Nick Woolmington, Chairman of the No Pilrow group, which is fighting plans by Broadview Energy to build six 140 metre turbines on farmland at Pilrow, read out a letter from a unnamed local estate agent.
Nick said: “Property prices in Rooksbridge, West Huntspill and Puriton have been seriously affected by the plans to build wind farms by Broadview, EDF and Ecotricity.”
“The estate agent says he is convinced that wind farms have a negative effect on values, and that some homes could even be unsalable.”
Nick added: “Estate agents are not renowned for making such negative remarks about the market, so it shows the seriousness of what is being said. The uncertainty is making prospective buyers wary.”
EDF plans to build five turbines on farmland next to the Huntspill River near East Huntspill while Ecotricity is seeking permission for four turbines near to Poplar Farm.
It was also claimed during the meeting that there are now 15 sites for wind farms being considered along the M5 corridor, and a total of 600 places across the whole of Somerset where turbines are being investigated.
Updates were also given at the meeting on fundraising, with the group hoping to raise tens of thousands of pounds to cover its expected costs over the next few months.
Broadview expects to submit a planning application for the Pilrow wind farm in early 2012 and, if approved, the site could be operational in the summer of 2013.
Pictured: Residents at Sunday night’s wind farm meeting in the village of Mark and, above, a photomontage of how the Rooksbridge farm might look
