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NEWS RELEASE, March 2010
Power production in our back yard
Wind not Coal
Questionnaire shows us the way.
PANiC Stations welcomes the recent acceptance by the RWE N-Power developers not to build a new power station at Cambois / Blyth. But the question remains, what should the site be used for?
In a public survey carried out by PANiC Stations there was strong support for the development of renewable energy at the site (70% of people supporting a renewable energy use for the site). In comparison the proposal to build a new monster coal fired power station on this site was clearly unwanted (less than 8%).
Around 90% of the people questioned are concerned about Climate Change and Global Warming. Overwhelmingly (96%) of people consider it necessary to produce power by non-polluting means. Furthermore renewable power resources were very heavily favoured by the respondents (70%).
So what should happen NOW?
The survey cannot directly answer this, but given the huge proportion of people demanding use of renewable resources it appears there will be strong support for using the site for renewable power generation – or (more ambitiously) using the site to support renewable power generation. Examples of this could include: use as a support base for the off shore wind industry; the manufacture of renewable energy infrastructure, etc...
There is a strong need for local regeneration (including Jobs and Housing) and the Local Authority has been looking at such schemes for many years. Also the Port of Blyth wants to see an increase in traffic through the Port and appeared to be chasing the possible regeneration that a new coal fired power station could have produced.
However, the opportunities from Clean Technologies and the use of the site for renewable energy production are substantial, and so far appear to be unexplored. The site has excellent connections with the sea port connections, the National Grid link and even a direct connection to the main spine road already built. This site represents a perfect opportunity for development in the renewable energy industries and even has the New And Renewable Energy Centre (NAREC) nearby at Blyth.
Most locals want development in the area.
The owners of the site (RWE N-Power) are just sitting on it, maintaining a derelict site, opposing development by others, and imposing blight on the local population. If this was not the ideal opportunity for industry, Government, ONE North East and the people of an area to act together then how much more would it need?
Perhaps there should be a compulsory purchase order applied to the site for the development of new industry and housing rather than leaving such a valuable site in the hands of a company that clearly does not care about the location, the people or the environment.
End 457 Words
Contacts
press@panic-stns.co.uk
Vincent on 07940 564 889 (mobile phone only)
Please note different contact details are provided for different releases and this contact has not been used in previous releases.
Notes for the Media.
About PANiC Stations
- Website at www.panic-stns.co.uk
- PANiC Stations is an Umbrella Group for those Campaigns against a new Coal Fired Power Station at Blyth / Cambois.
- We provide a means for different groups to communicate and share information and support for these common aims.
- We support the development of renewable power generation infrastructure at the site including the facilities for the construction of large offshore wind, wave and tidal power plant, micro-generation equipment and the extra jobs that this would create.
- We have successfully opposed a New Coal Fired Station at Blyth / Cambois being built as it would have been incompatible with reducing our national Carbon Footprint and would have contributed to further Global Warming.
- We also opposed the power station because of the local effects on the environment and on the local communities, including foreseeable health effects from the operation of the power station.
About the survey
- Copies of the survey report (with graphs, analysis and more data) are available from the PANiC Stations website www.panic-stns.co.uk
- Proper survey protocol was observed but it is noted that PANiC Stations is not a member of any polling organisations.
(Similar surveys have been undertaken in other parts of the country with similar results.)
- This document is based on information obtained by surveys undertaken by PANiC Stations supporters and over the PANiC Stations website.
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