Geoffrey Cox, MP for Torridge and West Devon, attended an event organised by Chilla against Turbines (C.A.T) at Windrift Farm, Beara Cross on Saturday 7 March. The MP was invited to launch a barrage balloon to a height of 410 feet to demonstrate the colossal height of the 15 proposed wind turbines at Chilla Valley.

Around 150 local people came to register their protest at the damaging proposals for the giant turbines by Scottish Power.

The C.A.T committee have kept Geoffrey Cox frequently updated over the months since the proposal for 15 wind turbines was made public and have received his support in their campaign against the plans.

In a separate move, the MP has this week tabled urgent parliamentary questions to Hazel Blears, Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, demanding information as to how many times her department has “called in” applications for giant commercial wind turbines on the new ground, introduced only last year, that they raise “issues of more than national importance.” 

Geoffrey Cox said: “I have consistently argued that giant commercial wind turbines cannot be a significant part of a coherent national answer to climate change. This Government has irresponsibly failed to take critical and timely decisions about Britain’s energy needs, and are embarked on a headlong rush to meet targets – no matter the consequences to areas such as ours.

“Now, under the new Planning Act 2008, the government is busy making plans to bypass local democracy and planning laws to force communities to pay the price of its failures of policy over the last twelve years.”