ALMOST 100 locals have formed a group called West Ancroft Community Action in response to the possibility of an application for the erection of eight wind turbines at West Ancroft.
A public meeting was held last Thursday in Ancroft and heard from a number of people with differing views on wind farms.
Ian Corsie, chairman of West Ancroft Community Action (WACA), told the Advertiser: "It was a very good meeting, there was a goo
d spirit, people were serious, but there wasn't any raised voices or arguments. Most people were united in the feeling that we have got to do something about it.
"We are very much on our own in that all the local councillors cannot appear to be taking sides, and that makes us more determined to fight it."
Mr Corsie said that the WACA committee are supported by a wide range of people who are prepared to help the cause and who have a range of expertise and that they are not purely against renewable energy.
"We said we are for renewable energy, including wind power, but in the right place," he said.
Mr Corsie added that a website is under construction, and that while a small membership fee is being taken to cover incidental costs, no serious fundraising will take place until a planning application is actually lodged, and possibly not even until the public inquiry into the Barmoor, Moorsyde and Toft Hill wind farm appeals is heard.
The Douglas family, the landowners of the site earmarked for the development by E.ON, had declined an invitation to put forward their case at the meeting, but John Barber of Brackenside Farm near Barmoor spoke about the need to do everything possible now to protect our children and grandchildren from the effects of our over-reliance on fossil fuels.
Other speakers included Andrew Joicey, who spoke about the system of incentives that underpins onshore wind farm proposals; Ian Jackson of Bowsden Hall Farm who spoke about the effect this latest scheme would have on the local community when combined with the Barmoor site should it be approved; and Mike Maud, of the Old Manse at Ancroft Northmoor and Clare Dakin, of Duddo Farm, who spoke about the combined effects of the new scheme with the Moorsyde and Toft Hill sites should they also be given approval following the May inquiry.
George Miller, former chairman of Berwick Borough Council's planning committee also spoke at the meeting in Ancroft Memorial Hall, giving advice and insight into how the planning system works.
E.ON last week launched their own website (www.eon-uk.com/generation/1644.aspx) and email address (westancroftenquiries@eon-uk.com) for the West Ancroft scheme to keep locals informed of developments with the proposal. Details of the WACA website will be published when available.
Charley Rattan, project developer for E.ON Climate and Renewables, said: "The West Ancroft wind farm is an exciting development for the area and we want to ensure that local people are kept fully up-to-date with all the news about our proposal.
"We understand that local people want to know what's happening and at what stage the proposal is at, which is why we've launched this new email address and website, enabling people to have their say and to ask us any questions they may have."
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