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Winwick village takes on the might of energy firm E.ON
A TINY hamlet is battling energy company E.ON over plans for a windfarm in a ‘David and Goliath’ struggle.
Winwick, which has a population of 40, lies around six miles east of Rugby between West Haddon and Yelvertoft. E.ON has submitted plans to build seven turbines beside the village – a decision on which will be taken by a planning inspector based in Bristol.
Keen to see the plans scrapped, the villagers have submitted 400 letters of protest and a 700-signature petition to Daventry District Council. But because the decision will not be made by the council, villagers now face a bill for tens of thousands of pounds to hire legal and technical experts to represent them to the planning inspector.
Posters symbolising the clash have been put up around the village. Sue Sherman, a 60-year- old retiree, is one of the villagers who has made a donation to the fighting fund.
She said: “This potential desecration of our village by E.ON is on a truly dreadful scale and we are digging deep to save our precious countryside for future generations.
“E.ON have so many of these planning applications around the UK they probably couldn’t even point to Winwick on a map, but this is our home – and we shall fight on, whatever the cost.”
Fellow villager Phillip Bradbury added: “Our David and Goliath poster shows exactly what we are up against – a village of 40 people tackling an energy giant with multi-million pound resources. But remember how the story of David and Goliath ended.
“And remember too, that unlike E.ON, the villagers of Winwick are fighting to preserve the Northamptonshire landscape for generations to come.”
Villagers are now planning to visit E.ON’s Coventry offices for a peaceful protest, taking with them banners including the David and Goliath poster, created especially for the campaign by local artist and Winwick supporter Chris Fiddes.
No-one from E.ON was available for comment as the Advertiser went to press.
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Friday 18 May 2012
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