Shropshire wind turbine meeting sparks anger from protesters
Residents fighting plans to build a giant wind turbine in the Shropshire countryside have criticised the 'arrogant' attitude of developers after a public meeting.
Controversial plans to build a 75-metre (246ft) turbine on land at Onston Farm, in Tetchill, near Ellesmere, were revealed by Worcestershire-based Intech Clean Energy UK at a public meeting on Tuesday night.
However, concerned residents have criticised the firm, claiming they used the meeting as an 'advert' for renewable energy rather than informing them about how the plans will affect Tetchill.
Resident Mike Swanston was at the meeting. He said: "The meeting on Tuesday was not what we expected.
"We thought we would be attending an informative planning meeting that would discuss the proposed wind turbine for Tetchill.
"Instead we got an advert for turbines and renewable energy.
"I was absolutely disgusted. At one stage we were told that this turbine will be smaller than the cooling tower in Ironbridge and will make less noise than a nightclub.
"Tetchill doesn't have a cooling tower or a nightclub. The comparisons were totally out of context to what we have in the hamlet. It was ridiculous."
Mr Swanston said Hans Georg Vollmer, CEO of Intech Clean Energy UK, spoke as if the installing the turbine was a foregone conclusion.
He said: "It was an absolute joke. A lot of residents attended to have a discussion but this was a marketing presentation.
"In Tetchill we have a phone box, a post box and bus stop but no buses. We also have a wind turbine at Winston's Farm.
"Because we have got one turbine the developer seemed to think we would be happy to have another one. It was arrogant.
"We are not against renewable energy it's the location and the size of this turbine that we have a problem with."
But Mr Vollmer accused the residents of not paying attention.
"It is the way we always do presentations for all our projects. I wanted to give them an overview of the company.
"People need to be open minded. I showed how it would look but we don't have a contractor yet so I can't tell them more.
"I think they had a chance to put questions across but they were not happy with my answers."
