Letter: It Would Be Good to Have Wind Turbines on the North and South Downs

Published on: 18 May, 2025
Updated on: 18 May, 2025

From Maddie Evans

In response to: If the Shalford Councillor Wants Wind Turbines Put Them in Shalford

Aside from repeatedly calling me a Labour councillor [now corrected in Lyn Jenkins’ letter, Ed], something I have never been, (would he like me to call him a Scottish Nationalist I wonder?), Lyn Jenkins clearly doesn’t bother to read my letters properly.

I have never argued in support of Bute Energy’s Welsh plans which I am unfamiliar with but they do appear from a brief viewing to be grandiose and may be ill-considered.

I am prepared to put my hands up to supporting a fair transition away from fossil fuels. Hands up to supporting a debate based in facts rather than conspiracy theories. And hands up to a deep admiration for the engineers who have kept our National Grid running throughout the transition so far.

We all need a proper debate about the right way to do this. When he resorts to saying renewable energy doesn’t work, when it clearly does, Lyn Jenkins just undermines his other, more valid arguments about fairness and proportionality.

Renewable energy has broad support in Surrey but there are also vociferous minority interests that try to block progress. A few residents in Compton are slowing down the proposed solar farm at Guildford University for example.

Sir Jeremy Hunt, my local MP, is proud to support their campaign and has opposed far more legislation on climate action than he has supported. Perhaps we can all encourage him to stand in Wales in the next election where he would be a great help to Mr Jenkins?

Building infrastructure in Surrey is always frustrating. Despite enjoying good food and luxury goods, central heating, electric light, rubbish collections and the rest, historically residents have successfully argued that abattoirs and tanneries, incinerators, landfills, and power stations and pylons are all dumped on poorer communities elsewhere.

I think it would be good to have wind turbines on the North and South Downs, close to where power is needed. Offshore we have turbines at Rampion to the south and Dogger Bank to the east. Onshore we can’t even get momentum behind community schemes like the Octopus fan club which directly pay residents, and would improve house values by cutting running costs.

If they bring in zonal pricing, Surrey’s Nimbies will be paying the highest energy prices in the country.

Let’s have a proper debate about the most effective and most appropriate energy infrastructure to meet Surrey’s needs, based on sound facts and polite debate. Not the absurd name calling and misrepresentation that, while entertaining, is just confusing and stressing everyone.