Draft Infrastructure Planning (Onshore Wind Generating Stations) Order 2016 Debate

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Peter Aldous

Main Page: Peter Aldous (Conservative - Waveney)
Peter Aldous Portrait Peter Aldous (Waveney) (Con)
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I am a supporter of renewables, including onshore wind and ground-mounted solar, and I have a solar farm on the farm in which I am a family partner. I support the proposals in the draft order.

Thirty or 40 years ago, when onshore wind first arrived in the UK, there was tremendous popular support in communities for it, such as in Swaffham in Norfolk. Somehow along the way we have lost that strong local community support for onshore wind, and I suspect that one of the reasons for that is that communities have felt that schemes have been foisted upon them. The draft order enables us to give onshore wind a chance in the future. On that basis, I support the proposals.